pH down solution drastically elevates PPM, is it normal?

[MrGreenGenes]

I keep adding it to the nutrient mix until it achieves 5.5. Couple cap fulls of GH pH Down.

[Chefbjy]

I haven't used it in months adding nutes usually significantly reduces my ph. Using silica then calmag should be added first. I use gh maxi series bottled recommend feed that lowers it to around 5.5-6. I then add what I mixed to another jug and add more water to a get a diluted solution to my correct ec level by adding any diluted solution to the half empty jug. Maybe have enough to feed the flowers and stuff around the house. But I've used this method getting a ph of 6.5 everytime with a nuetral starting ph. I don't add ph down to my regular waterings and my run off ph is always between 6 and 6.5.

[FlyingDutchPaddy]

hi there,

you kinda start off with what I have as well with my water...
baseline pH - 7.3 to 7.6 ish ; ppm (NaCL) - 267

im using the flora series with CalMag extra....

i've read from the feeding chart Flora has for recirculating DWC systems to add CalMag first before adding their Micro solution....
not sure if you're using CalMag extra, or if there is a recommendation to add nutrients to water but i'd look for something like that.

when i add 30ml CalMag and 60ml of FloraMicro to 15L of plain water, i get these readings:
pH - 7.4 , ppm - 1240 (starting pH - 7.6)

when all is done, the resting pH of 45L of water is 7.4 with ppm - 840.
then i add 13.5ml of pH down to it and pH settles at 6.3. ppm at 850.


how much water are you adding those nutrients to you mentioned at the start?

[Greengringo]

You sure you put ph down and not pH up Mr gg?.just putting it out there because I've done it before.

[Chefbjy]

Is your run off ph high? It should basicly be the same coming out as going in. If your trying to lower your run off ph yes you would want to correct it like that. But if your run off ph is 7 I would be happy with that. It's good to let ph fluctuate a little...you can add the ph down on non feed days if you need to drop it.

[Mr.furley]

How much ph down do you use?

[MrGreenGenes]

Ive been knocking it down to 5.5 in order to get the optimum run-off pH of 6.2 to 6.6. Is this proper technique? Chefbjy

[MrGreenGenes]

Flockshot thank you for sharing. Very valid question. Campesino Can the PPM's being created from the pH down be ignored?
883 in my case. In reality, having a PPM of 358 during flower is very low.

[Chefbjy]

I think you are fine with a base of 7.0 which is a nuetral ph... My water is 7 out of the well and I don't add any ph down. Is it 7.0 after adding nutes? If so I wouldn't add any ph down.

[Greengringo]

I would notice mine go down where I'm not adding pH down but never up ?? Weird I'm curious to see which direction this go's.

[Flockshot]

I ask this not to hijack the thread, but if I guess right it may help. If the PH Down is contributing that many PPM's, do those PPM's count less than PPM's from nutrients? There is no N or P or K in the PH down, I don't believe. It seems to me that the PPM's from the PH down could be somewhat ignored if plants seem underfed.
Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will help me out on this, because I am just fishing.

[9fingerleafs]

Yes that is how ph works. It is a relationship bewteen Ppm and the ph of those minerals. If you want to lower or rise ph you need lots of particles to counter act the water and nutrients ph

[MrGreenGenes]

Base pH is 7.0.
i add pH down in my nutrient mix after nutrients.
Soil.

[Mr.furley]

Hi Mr.Gg,
what is your PH of your base water? And are you add ph down before or after you add nutes to the water? What medium are you growing in?

[MrGreenGenes]

Hello, My normal maintenance nutrient mix measures 358 PPM. (Before balancing the pH).

Nutrient mix:
Mammoth P 1.25mg
Humboldts Secret Golden Tree 1.25mg
Humboldts Secret Base A 3.5mg, B 3.5mg

Then I added pH down solution into my mix and my PPM shot from 358 to 1,190, it went up 883. Just by adding in the pH down solution.
I want to add more nutrients to my mix but the pH solution is causing it to be to high.
If I don't add my pH down solution then the plants won't uptake nutrients, they will sit and burn again.

So how is it ever possible for me to achieve a PPM lower than 1,190 when my pH balancing solution cranks up my PPM way too high?