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How to stabilize ph in coco
- Thread starter fleits
- Start date
feeblebunny
Member
Assuming you are checking the pH of the runoff water. Why do you think 6.1-6.2 runoff is a problem? I think it's fine.
stevewinthrop
Member
Coco is not soil, the pH of the medium isn't as important as the pH of the nutrient solution you are feeding it. If you are having problems keeping the nutrient solution pH from drifting:
pH stability can have a lot to do with carbonate hardness. If there is no carbonates in the water (soft water) the pH will drift up and down, but ultimately fall low. If the carbonate hardness is too high (hard water) the pH will be very high and be difficult to bring down. If you have a good hardness, on the softer side (2-4 dKH) the pH will remain stable even in a slight acid (5.5-6 pH).
But again, don't worry about the pH of the coco or runoff, as nutrients are consumed and ions exchanged by the coco the pH of the coco and runoff will change. This changed pH means nothing to you as a grower. It's only the pH of the nutrient. Would you be as concerned about the pH of a pot of hydroton?
As to you asking if there's a product that will help keep pH stable, yes. You can buy calcium carbonate and use that in your reservoir if your res is having pH drift due to water being too soft. If you run beneficial bacteria you can put some crushed coral in a mesh bag and sink that in your res, it will slowly increase the dKH of your water and also play host to colonies of beneficial bacteria.
pH stability can have a lot to do with carbonate hardness. If there is no carbonates in the water (soft water) the pH will drift up and down, but ultimately fall low. If the carbonate hardness is too high (hard water) the pH will be very high and be difficult to bring down. If you have a good hardness, on the softer side (2-4 dKH) the pH will remain stable even in a slight acid (5.5-6 pH).
But again, don't worry about the pH of the coco or runoff, as nutrients are consumed and ions exchanged by the coco the pH of the coco and runoff will change. This changed pH means nothing to you as a grower. It's only the pH of the nutrient. Would you be as concerned about the pH of a pot of hydroton?
As to you asking if there's a product that will help keep pH stable, yes. You can buy calcium carbonate and use that in your reservoir if your res is having pH drift due to water being too soft. If you run beneficial bacteria you can put some crushed coral in a mesh bag and sink that in your res, it will slowly increase the dKH of your water and also play host to colonies of beneficial bacteria.
CoCoSativas
Active member
In my exeriance with coco, it seems to runoff 6.0 all the time.
I use gh flora, it is very ph stable. It also runs off at 6.0
Its your choice if you runoff and if you check your run off. I do. Lots dont. They are your plants you can check it if you want. Many say do a slurry test. I personally get the same results off slurrys as I do runoff. But maybe thats just me...
My runoff is always around 6, I feed them with ph 5.7 or 5.8 solution. They are healthy and fine. I dont worry unless I have a problem. I check runoff to put my own mind at ease.
I use gh flora, it is very ph stable. It also runs off at 6.0
Its your choice if you runoff and if you check your run off. I do. Lots dont. They are your plants you can check it if you want. Many say do a slurry test. I personally get the same results off slurrys as I do runoff. But maybe thats just me...
My runoff is always around 6, I feed them with ph 5.7 or 5.8 solution. They are healthy and fine. I dont worry unless I have a problem. I check runoff to put my own mind at ease.
hey fleits..
we need some more info here:
tap water analysis
what ph down ?
res bubbled?
also you shouldnt really worry about runoff like mentioned...
its all about weekly slurry tests !! that will tell you what ph&ec your coco is at!!
do a search.. and whilst your at it.. for alkalinity as well
i bet its the culprit.. best is to use something like 80% RO 20% Tap
peace
we need some more info here:
tap water analysis
what ph down ?
res bubbled?
also you shouldnt really worry about runoff like mentioned...
its all about weekly slurry tests !! that will tell you what ph&ec your coco is at!!
do a search.. and whilst your at it.. for alkalinity as well
i bet its the culprit.. best is to use something like 80% RO 20% Tap
peace
CoCoSativas
Active member
Unlikey a tap water user needs to add calcium carbonate unless their water is super soft. Most arent. If you live in seattle... Well you know your water is soft.
Check your cal hardness before adding more. Hot tub test stips do this.
stevewinthrop
Member
A lot of people use RO water which is also soft.
You can always check your municipal water supply report for actual hardness numbers if you are on city water. If you are on a well you already know how hard or soft your water is
CoCoSativas
Active member
Ok and yeah you can look up water reports or you can be exact, like say cross referancing a tds meter and test strips. You were just preaching to me about exact science, or your understanding of it anyway.
Why are you here, arguing yet again on a thread discussing things you dont believe in, like checking run off in coco? Its an insult to all the coco masters here...
stevewinthrop
Member
Ok and yeah you can look up water reports or you can be exact, like say cross referancing a tds meter and test strips. You were just preaching to me about exact science, or your understanding of it anyway.
Why are you here, arguing yet again on a thread discussing things you dont believe in, like checking run off in coco? Its an insult to all the coco masters here...
Whoa buddy, take a chill pill. I'm really trying to find some way to like you or see anything in your contribution and you're really not helping yourself when you just come in to pick fights. Grow up, kid.
hey fleits..
we need some more info here:
tap water analysis
what ph down ?
res bubbled?
also you shouldnt really worry about runoff like mentioned...
its all about weekly slurry tests !! that will tell you what ph&ec your coco is at!!
do a search.. and whilst your at it.. for alkalinity as well
i bet its the culprit.. best is to use something like 80% RO 20% Tap
peace
my tap water ph is aroung 6.8 sometimes more sometimes not, depends on how long i will let water to flow, im taking ph down with citric acid and im hand watering my coco,
watering everyday with 20-30% runoff, right now it seems everything fine lockout is down.
nutrients i use :
biobizz grow
biobizz alc-a-mic
biobizz bio heaven
biobizz top max
biobizz bloom
biobizz root juice
Epsomt Salt
Hygrozyme Enzymes
This time its my first time to use hygrozyme and plants seems to love it, all roots have comed out to pots, i use root pouch pots
im from finland i searched what tap water here is, and seems that in tap water are chlorine,ammonia,aluminium oxide(or smth like that with aluminium) im thinking that this water is not good, everybody in finland saying that their skin trying and they have acne and so on.
we need some more info here:
tap water analysis
what ph down ?
res bubbled?
also you shouldnt really worry about runoff like mentioned...
its all about weekly slurry tests !! that will tell you what ph&ec your coco is at!!
do a search.. and whilst your at it.. for alkalinity as well
i bet its the culprit.. best is to use something like 80% RO 20% Tap
peace
my tap water ph is aroung 6.8 sometimes more sometimes not, depends on how long i will let water to flow, im taking ph down with citric acid and im hand watering my coco,
watering everyday with 20-30% runoff, right now it seems everything fine lockout is down.
nutrients i use :
biobizz grow
biobizz alc-a-mic
biobizz bio heaven
biobizz top max
biobizz bloom
biobizz root juice
Epsomt Salt
Hygrozyme Enzymes
This time its my first time to use hygrozyme and plants seems to love it, all roots have comed out to pots, i use root pouch pots
im from finland i searched what tap water here is, and seems that in tap water are chlorine,ammonia,aluminium oxide(or smth like that with aluminium) im thinking that this water is not good, everybody in finland saying that their skin trying and they have acne and so on.
yeah tap water can work, 6.8 is not bad really..
we need to know how hard it is.. how much calcium & magnesium is in there..
like i say i would do a mix with RO water,
if you cant let your water sit for 24hrs min and then mix your nutes
citric acid works great i use it as well
go to the canna website, or youtube and check for coco slurry,
it will tell you how to do it, you need distilled water or RO water.. 0 ppm water
its very simple.. yeah as i said dont worry about runoff .. do a slurry once a week to make sure you are feeding correct.. best is 5.5-6, doesnt have to be the same every day!
but do the slurry then you know what ph to feed exactly!
also very important: you dont need to have 20-30% runoff.. you can do that once a week
but 5-10% runoff is much better and saves you water & nutes!!
peace
we need to know how hard it is.. how much calcium & magnesium is in there..
like i say i would do a mix with RO water,
if you cant let your water sit for 24hrs min and then mix your nutes
citric acid works great i use it as well
go to the canna website, or youtube and check for coco slurry,
it will tell you how to do it, you need distilled water or RO water.. 0 ppm water
its very simple.. yeah as i said dont worry about runoff .. do a slurry once a week to make sure you are feeding correct.. best is 5.5-6, doesnt have to be the same every day!
but do the slurry then you know what ph to feed exactly!
also very important: you dont need to have 20-30% runoff.. you can do that once a week
but 5-10% runoff is much better and saves you water & nutes!!
peace
AuxinRiver
Member
The run-off is always higher, I wouldn't worry about that, it's normal.
Have you considered changing your water source? Spring water is a lot better than tap, if you have one available near you and it's not too much of a hassle. Your plants would thank you.
Have you considered changing your water source? Spring water is a lot better than tap, if you have one available near you and it's not too much of a hassle. Your plants would thank you.
I have an under sink filter, pH is 6.5+, EC 0.1.
So I add pH down to maintain my target 5.4-5.8.
Water to run off 10% +/- in coco hempy.
So I add pH down to maintain my target 5.4-5.8.
Water to run off 10% +/- in coco hempy.
atticflowers
Member
I have this same water parameters and my plants hate it they instantly stop growing or growth is slowed to a crawl. Got a ro set up n thats been workin great, for me right now only 1 plant out of 8 has problems so im jus tryin to fix it. I think it was cuz i added calcium carbonate to bring PH up instead of using GH, PH up
