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PH Up/Down initial amounts?


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Old 10-18-2010, 05:57 PM
halfway halfway is offline
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Default PH Up/Down initial amounts?

Ok folks, I have a 9 gallon reservoir feeding an ebb and flow table for 2 simpson elite and 2 basil plant seedlings.

This will be the very first run in a few days and I will set the nutrients for about 1/4 strength for the first several days.

My question is this; what constitutes "a small amount" in regards to adding PH up or down? Both bottles and the instruction sheet say the same thing ("a small amount").

Any "starter" amount based on the size info I gave above? I have no idea what "a small amount" is relative to....2 drops / 2 teaspoons etc. I really don't want to waste an hour adding drop by drop if the amount is higher or burn it all out by adding tspn when it needs a drop, LOL.

Thanks.

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Old 10-18-2010, 06:27 PM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Perhaps someone else may have better info for you because I have never used liquid pH adjusters. I have always used the dry crystals by earth juice. But as you must have guessed already, manufactures cant give specific directions because of all the variables. Like the amount of solution needed to be adjusted, as well as how far off the pH is in the first place. You can even get technical and the type of nutrients and weather the nutrients have buffers in it or not (as well as what type of buffers) all make a difference.

Though my recommendation would be start by just adding a couple of drops, mix and wait a couple minutes, then re-test and repeat if necessary. It will take some trial and error, and you may even wind up adding to much and needing to go the other way (happens to me still from time to time). But it wont take long before you get real good at judging how much to add. It's kind of like saying add salt to taste. My best advice is it's better to add to little than to much, especially if your not familiar with the product. But it does take some trial and error to get used to.
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Old 10-18-2010, 06:57 PM
halfway halfway is offline
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hehe, I was afraid you would say that.
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Old 10-21-2010, 07:50 PM
EarlyPan EarlyPan is offline
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Default pH adjustment

As a retired chemist let me caution you about adding too much of either up or down when the pH is near neutral or 7. I use 15 cc's of grow nutrients and 15 cc's of either grow or bloom per gallon. If the ph is off in either direction, I add 2 to 3 cc's of the appropriate solution and after mixing, check it again. pH is temperature sensitive, too, so make sure your solutions are at room temperature when checking. Hope this helps.
Earl

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