whats going on with my ph levels?(broken meter?)

[hoffmac11]

so i just bought a hanna ph tester and when i checked the water in my reservoir it was reading around 7.3, which really surprised me because the test strips that came with my Deep Water Culture kit were reading around 5.8..so a huge difference.i know the hanna is calibrated because i used the 7.0 and 4.0 buffer to calibrate it and it was spot on. so i figure that the high ph that was in the water was why the plants were growing so slowly, since im on my 3rd week and there only about 1 1/2 tall..but they do look healthy, green leaves, no discoloration etc..so heres where it gets weird for me..

the water out of my tap reads 8.4 with the hanna, which to me, seems a bit high..i dont have a well, and from what ive heard, we have very good water around here(bay area,CA)..what 'good water' means, i dont know.but the PH in my reservoir raises ALOT..i mean i will get it to 5.3, and within a hour and a half it will be at 6.0.and in another hour it will be at 6.5.

im using the GH flora series(micro,grow,bloom) and 15ml of each.i always set the ph before i add nutrients,then check it again after i add them.

are my plants just eating alot of nutrients since i got the PH right and thats whats rasing my ph?? what the hells going on???

 

[PitViper]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

welcome to 420magazine!
uhhhm assuming your meter is good...you calibrated with fluid..tested it and know your baseline.
If the plants are big and way into veg or bloom you may be experiencing PH and PPM instability...smaller resovoirs with more than two plants will experience this.
got pics??

 

[hoffmac11]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

well there definately not big..its got 6 gallons of water, with 5 plants..

and where do i click to add pictures??

 

[hoffmac11]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)





they look healthy dont they?? so why is my ph going up so much??

 

[SciFi]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

Umm.. Are you using CO2? Is the temp of the res good? How much air are you pumping into it? What kind of medium are you using? Did you flush the medium ALOT before using it?

We can't really help you without details..

 

[Hogdady]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

the water out of my tap reads 8.4 with the hanna, which to me, seems a bit high..i dont have a well, and from what ive heard, we have very good water around here(bay area,CA)

If you are on EBMUD water, not so good. If you are on Hetch Hetchy water, it's very good. I get water out of the tap anywhere from 6.0 to 8.5 (Hetch Hetchy).

 

[hoffmac11]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

yup eb mud...

not using co2..i have 2 airstones in the tank,and im using rockwool cubes with hydroton rocks..and i flushed the hydroton rocks for a good 30 minutes before putting them in the system.i only flushed the rockwool cubes for about 5 minutes.i would let them soak water up, then i would squeeze it out, and repeat.

the temp in the room is 72 degrees,with 45% humidity.res tank temp is 73 degrees.

im getting close to draining the res, and starting over with fresh water, then stepping up the nutrients and see if that helps..

on average, how often do you guys adjust the ph, and how much do you typically adjust it??

 

[SciFi]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

I tend to res change once a week or two weeks if the TDS isn't dropping shit tons... and I add water back once a day and check the ph. I wouldn't suggest upping the nutes yet.. If anything do a res change and keep the nuets where it's at.. How far away is your light and what kind is it?

 

[PitViper]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

How to Ask for Grow Support

 

[Michaelsbuds]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

hoffmac;
Welcome to 420!!!!
I joined a couple months ago.....these guys are awesome!
Already you got the legendary Pit Vip answering your question! (NICE!)

I bought a hanna, actually two of them.
I was getting readings all over the place too.
I wasn't about to lose the girls on account of a cheap meter either. (Yea so I go buy another, go fiqure) But it did help havin a second one around.
Make sure that meter tip stays wet!!!!!!!!!
It may have dried out on you....get it wet with the 7.01 soulution and then put the cap on it. Always rinse in the 7 soultion too when done. I think this is whats happend to ya.

Can't belive you guys have good water down there???? (Im up the hill from you in Tahoe)
Don't drink it!
I check my PH everyday! be careful not to go more than .2-.3 pts a day.
Go slow with it. That can shock them too! get in in the high 5's and watch it so it stays there! PH is one of the basics these guys preach about alot. don't treat it lightly.
best of luck to ya, you've come to a great site!

 

[PitViper]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

are you adjusting PH before you add the nutes?....hopefully after.....
drain the res...pour 1/2 gallon of tap water thru it...dont PH it.
drain the run off from the "flush"
refill with fresh water...and nutes...run the air pump....check in 4 hrs...adjust to 5.5 and watch it...It will go up a lil bit each day....if it goes to 6.2 after 3 days...adjust

 

[hoffmac11]

Re: whats going on with my ph levels??(broken meter??)

What Strain is it? no idea,i got the seeds from a friend.
How Many Plants? 5,vegetative stage,3 weeks
Indoor
Hydro-(stealth hydro Deep Water Culture kit) 8 gallon res with 6 gallons of water in it
If Hydro, Reservoir Temperature? 73 degrees
If Hydro, what type of Medium? rockwool cube/hydroton rocks(all washed before use)
If Hydro, what type of Setup? 2 airstones,
Size (Wattage) of Light? How Many? 65watts,2 lights,dual spectrum 65 CFL,and the lights are about 7 inches away.
Is it Air Cooled? the lights? no, they dont get hot.but the room does get fresh air,and there are fans.
Temperature of Room/Cabinet? 72 degrees/45% humidity
PH of Medium or Reservoir? res, 7.0
Any Pests?no.
How Often are you Watering?water pump is always on
Type and Strength of Fertilizers used? GH micro,flora,bloom(15ml each)
Size or Square Footage of Room? 3.5'L x 3'W x 5.5'H


so i just drained the res,put a fresh gallon of water in, ran it for a minute, then drained again,filled it back with 6 gallons fresh water, checked the ph(8.4) did not adjust.added 15ml of each GH flora,micro,and bloom, re checked ph which is now 7.0. now i will wait 4 hours, check ph and adjust to 5.5 and wait 3 days.if it goes to 6.2 or 3 days from now,which ever comes first,, i re adjust the ph back to 5.5..does this sound correct??

and i do keep my meter wet..ive got a paper towel that is damp in the cap to keep it moist..but i will be looking out for mold, so ill replace the wet paper towel often.

 

[hoffmac11]

sooo i let it sit for 4 hours, and i adjusted the ph to 5.5, and only a hour later, it was up to 6.3..what the hell??

 

[PitViper]

8.4 from your tap is almost unheard of it has to be your meter.most taps stay in the 7.0 to 7.6 range.we have had problems with hanna equipment over the years.you need to get a ph 7.0 base and cal. your meter.sounds to me its about a good point high.get a small fish tank ph test strip ther 2 bucks at the pet store and compare.

 

[warnerwh]

Being in the trade I'm in I've had to test the water ph numerous times. I've measured it from 5.5 in the summer to 7.0 the rest of the year. I would never trust ph strips. I had some expensive ones that I kept for backup. When I got a new meter I found the strips were saying 5.7 or so and ph was closer to 6.7 or 6.8. Don't trust ph strips! They can be way off and look fine even if they are brand new.

 

[hoffmac11]

Being in the trade I'm in I've had to test the water ph numerous times. I've measured it from 5.5 in the summer to 7.0 the rest of the year. I would never trust ph strips. I had some expensive ones that I kept for backup. When I got a new meter I found the strips were saying 5.7 or so and ph was closer to 6.7 or 6.8. Don't trust ph strips! They can be way off and look fine even if they are brand new.

i agree with the strips.the ones that came with my kit would read 5.7, and the meter would read 7.2. but i will go get a couple of packs of 4.0 and 7.0 buffer packs today and re calibrate.

but just to make sure, i dont do anything out of the ordinary when i get a brand new meter right?? just take it out of the box, put 7.0 in one cup,adjust it to it, clean it with tap water, then put 4.0 in another cup,adjust to that, and its good to go right??

 

[warnerwh]

Some say they are calibrated from the factory but I always double check. If you keep the electrodes wet it should stay accurate for at least 6 months. If you don't keep it wet with either 7.0 calibration fluid or the fluid they sell for storage you'll be using an inaccurate meter and will need to buy another. Meters are very accurate even the inexpensive ones compared to strips.

 

[Hogdady]

8.4 from your tap is almost unheard of it has to be your meter.most taps stay in the 7.0 to 7.6 range.we have had problems with hanna equipment over the years.you need to get a ph 7.0 base and cal. your meter.sounds to me its about a good point high.get a small fish tank ph test strip ther 2 bucks at the pet store and compare.

His water provider (East Bay Municipal Utilitiy District) is notorius for large ph swings in their water. I have seen 9.2 out of the tap! Fortuneatly, although I am in the Bay Area, my water comes from San Francisco's water supply, which is much better!

 

[hoffmac11]

my meter has to be broken...

i left my meter in the 7.0 buffer, and i left it for a few hours.i just turned it on and now it reads 3.7 in the 7.0 buffer, and i checked the 4.0 buffer, and it reads 1.7. i tried to adjust it, but i maxed out the calibration..ie i cant turn it anymore.and yes i have tried both clockwise/counter clockwise. and yes it was perfectly calibrated before i left it.

sooo back to the hydro store i go.

 

[Michaelsbuds]

its broke!!!!