Ph Problems, please help a new grower!

It is odd, but to add my two cents worth…
Add the pH drops, and wait 30 minutes, give them time to circulate and work, then retest pH.
If you test right away, it may read 5.8, but in 30 minutes, it could change up or down.

Like @Paranorman said, slowly!

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Yes, all the symptoms are related to the pH swings.

Yes, this is the correct range for hydro.

I’ve never had a problem using the pH test drops with any nutrient system and getting an accurate reading. And the pH drops are made by GH for their Trio, there shouldn’t be any problems getting an accurate color reading.

What concentration are you running at in your reservoir? What is the EC/TDS/PPM?

Happy growing,

~MacG

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So I’m not currently monitoring my EC/ppm because I’m a newbie and didn’t know it was required. I dont even know what you mean by concentration haha. Any info or links on the basics would be appreciated.

EC/PPM is a measurement of the concentration, 1tsp per gallon is also a way to think about concentration, 2 tsp per gallon would be a much higher concentration and a higher EC/PPM.

You should know this EC/PPM number in your starting water as well as the starting water’s pH. EC is the standard, PPM can vary kind of like Imperial to Metric, you need to know what the PPM conversion value is to know what it converts to in EC to have the most accurate way of speaking about it with others in a forum, if in the USA, we mostly use the standard 0.5 conversion from EC making everything pretty easy to do in your head, PPM would be about half EC, i.e. a EC of 1.0 would be 500 PPMs.

EC/TDS can be as important as pH especially in hydro.

Are you starting with just your plain water, adding nutrients, giving a few minutes, say 15 minutes for the pH to stabilize before trying to test and adjust the final pH?

~MacG

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Thanks for the explanation. So I am starting with plain tap water, adding nutes, giving it a few minutes then adjusting the pH. I live in a old building in the States if that means anything. What’s the best way to test/control EC?

Digital TDS pens are pretty cheap.

Haha @kabongster, you beat me to it, lol. That is a link to a decent pair of meters.

You do want to find out what the pH and the TDS is in your tap water. If the TDS is too high, or if you have too high of certain minerals (you should also get a water report from your water supply), you might need to invest in a R/O water filter or buy distilled water from the grocery store or somewhere.

~MacG

just a couple of things that mite help you ,them rooter plugs can give you issues with seeds and seedlings . they hold water almost to well … next you mite give it cal -mag only a little, for seedlings …and get your lighting cycle controlled, so you don’t get a bunch of hermies and last, 600 watts at this stage of growth is a Bit much … can you lower the out put??? Hammer

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Thanks for the tips everyone. I agree 600 Watts is a lot this early but its all I have. I started it out at 50% 42" away but it seemed like the seedlings kept stretching so I gradually lowered it and increased it. I’m not sure on my water temps but I’ll start monitoring that now.

As far as EC I was not aware that was something that needed to be monitored. Any advice on how to control the electrical current of nutes and the reservoir would be appreciated.

I think I figured out the main issue though. I am using one of those liquid ph indicators that changes color depending on the pH to test my water. Well my general hydroponics nutes have colors of their own (pink, brown, and green) that seem to be altering the color of the pH indicator. So I replaced the reservoir with plain pH water for now until my digital pH monitor arrives. The plants seem to be slightly better off now.

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am i understanding , that you can dial down the out put of the lite ??? if you can do so …but keep them close to the lights … seedlings will stretch a bit any way.

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I replied to this thread in a different thread! OMG! (Actually it was the same answer it was all about pH)

the color of the newts isn’t changing your pH…

Hammer this guy’s got something going on that I just don’t understand?

Regarding the light, @lj , this is a 600 on 250 setting, 18-20 inches above seedlings, that’s plenty of light and it stays 70 degrees all day at plant tops

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Great tips… I lowered my light and it’s.about 23" away at 50%. Temps are down near 70 now.

I think I am starting to.understand the EC PPM thing. What I don’t understand though, is how balancing the EC ties in with increasing the amount of nutrients you give the plant. So I imagine at first when you give the water only a small amount of nutes it will have a low PPM. Once the plants call for more nutes, the PPM will rise. So I assume plants require different EC-PPM concentrations at different stages?

I am having a little trouble still with the pH. Seems to be turning slightly basic after sitting for a period. I have noticed some of my hydroton rocks getting a little white which is probably salt. Would it be wise to flush the rocks and rooter with some pH water?(not over the reservoir) I know the rooters shouldn’t get too soaked though so not sure.

Hello guys, would really appreciate any help on this one
Have a question about pH, i am wondering if it is in the correct range for my 4 girls
I am not seeing any symptoms of distress with them but i feel they could be better
I have that low tech ph meter with the 2 rods sticking out, i tried it on bottled water and figured out that he reads1 unit less then indicated on the bottle and so i adjust my readings accordingly
So i stick it in the soil after i water the plants and it reads 6.7 or so
Lately it is reading around 7.2-7.3
The thing is when i Test the bottle were I dissolve the nutes and from which i water it indicates smthg like 4?! Is that normal?? And if it is why my soil ph is getting higher if am watering with water that has a low ph?

This is a picture of the girls, 2 Sskunk and 2 WW all autos and fem ( opposite corners) under a 400 wats hps
They are 39 days old since germination and put under scrog 7 days ago, currently on 2-1-4 nute formula with micro nutrients

Looks from the picture they are flowering and in flowering is suggest change the concentration ratio, I’m flowering N should be less than P and K, as for the ph meter id get advise from @MacGyverStoner or @Donaldj

Yes its my last feeding with this ratio, i already prepared a 1-2-4 formula for the next watering :v:
Its my first grow indoors and am learning as i go but i would really like to screw up as little as possible :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
I have noticed ( contrarily to the outdoor plants) tht when i water them it takes them about 16-24 hours to boost up and dont look thirsty anymore, weird… Is that from the pH? Or could it be the nutes concentration? Or I thought it could be the temperature??? What do you think guys

I have one of those probe meters too Marco, I wouldn’t trust it for pH… mine is nowhere near accurate, I only use it for moisture setting.

you can get one of those aquarium/pool test kits for a couple dollars, they are many many times better!

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Its because thats how long the plant takes to uptake its nutrients, compared to out door we let nature do the work (those of us who do grow outdoor)

I will get one of those tom, hope wont be hard to find
I put the lights closer, they were way far, 65 cm far, thats too much for a 400 hps, now they are at 38 cm distance, lets see how they will react))

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