adding ph up and down

[peterjoseph88]

So I was mixing up some nutrients last night and the ph was wayy low so I added ph up, and added too much... so I added ph down...and added too much so I added up. I was wondering, is this bad for the girls? I finally got the ph right but I haven't used the water yet because I felt there were too many chemicals. I apologize if this is a stupid question I just don't know. Next time I will use more cautiously. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

 

[Marquis de Sod]

i have not had a problem with it but have since started using my kelp extract as ph down when i screw up. i dont know if that is doing good or bad. did not have a prob with the up and down together but think it is not a good idea. water is cheap. i would say throw it out and make a new batch.. unless you got ten tons of it. maybe read the label. or go to the mfg's web site and see what it says, call them. it's the week end now tho but if it's a little bit i would toss it, if alot maybe use it. not much help am i?


keep a record of how much of the up you have to use. if it's in the ballpark call it good. it doesn't got to be exact.

 

[ibjamming]

Personally...I'd start over with fresh water.

 

[2Lazy]

I've read about this before, I wish I could remember the exact chemistry, but for the sake of conversation, going up, then down, then up, then down is a bad move.

Something about the phosphates and the bicarbonates. Bicarbonates are tricky bitches.

Going a little too acidic and having to add a little pH up is alright. It's the up and down and up and down that's the problem.

Nitric Acid and potassium silicate are more desirable as pH adjusters to me than phosphoric acid and sodium or potassium bicarbonates. The Nitric acid is a bit more stable and the potassium silicate doubles as a nutrient.

I'll go try and find this thread I learned this all from. I think it might have been on a different forum, or maybe in a book. This was a few years ago, so give me a little time here.

 

[Scrogerman]

Here's a trick i use : Have 10 litres or 2 gals of un Ph adjusted water/Nute mix solution on hand & add as ph up, or as has been sugested Silicon is a good PH up that comes with a wealth of benefits. Never mix Up&down together. Some will say its fine but most of the lit advises against it, i dont like a cloudy res either which happen if you mix the 2 if my memory serves. Hope the first part of this post serves you well! you cant go wrong! Throw it & start again is my advice! Practice & you'll nail it down.

 

[Sambiala]

I have done this before a few times when rushing. It didn't seem to make a difference to the (mature flowering) plants at the time but after a few days my ph fluctuated a fair bit which for me never happens, the res would then remain difficult to stabilize until flushed. I normally only need a little ph down using stored tap water (7.0) and my normal nutrients ratio but now if I overshoot the ph down I just add some more tap water till the ph raises a touch over my target (5.8) and then add a little nutes to make up for the ppm decrease. Good reason not to over fill the res. You can empty your res a little and then add tap water to increase ph but then you lose some nutes.

This obviously only works if you use stored tap water and your tap water has a significantly higher ph than your res target ph.

I'd flush if I were you but only because I don't like the idea of a toxic res - whether this really is the case I have no idea but it surely can't be beneficial.

 

[peterjoseph88]

Wow thanks for the help everyone..I fed them plain distilled water last feeding and now ill mix up a fresh batch and pour out the other stuff.better safe then sorry, I just wanted to save it cause its got roots excelurator mixed in and that shit is expensivee.. lol. Have a great day everyone and again, thank you for takin the time to help.

 

[cheesey]

So I was mixing up some nutrients last night and the ph was wayy low so I added ph up, and added too much... so I added ph down...and added too much so I added up. I was wondering, is this bad for the girls? I finally got the ph right but I haven't used the water yet because I felt there were too many chemicals. I apologize if this is a stupid question I just don't know. Next time I will use more cautiously. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance

why didnt you just take some of the water out and add some fresh to put the ph back up ?

 

[peterjoseph88]

I didn't think of that...I'm new to even ph'ing water.that's why I asked.

 

[Psuper]

is this a hydro grow?

 

[peterjoseph88]

Soil

 

[calstar]

Does using non-organic ph down(organic down being earth juice or similar product) harm the beneficials in soil? I posted a similar question in the new growers thread but so far the answers(2) deal with hydro; both feel the beneficials are not negatively impacted. This is an outdoor grow in soil. Thanks

Medical grow in compliance with CA prop 215 and sb 420

 

[Sam the Caveman]

In hydro, my experience has been when doing what you describe, I will have ph issues even though the ph will be what I want it to be.

Soil is more forgiving, but I still wouldn't feed that to them.

 

[Admiral Canna]

I'm good for dumping a batch if it isn't just so. Perfection is a curse. LOL