Silica then the 321 mix a,e then b
1 Like
Seeing the drift in 5gal mix also
Going to do a straight jack mix alone and see how long it holds…if it comes down to it I’ll just make a new res batch on feeding days
1 Like
I use Gen Hydro Flora series instead of Jacks and once I make the solution in my 4 gallon bucket and check and adjust PH if necessary my solution has never changed in value overnight in over 2 years now…just my experience with not having any drift after making
1 Like
I know it sounds counterintuitive but are you buffering your ro water with tap water
I get these ph swings too
Unless i use about 1/8 tap water in the ro it must act as a buffer cause these swings are not as bad and stabilize way easier
For my soil run i was doing a 50/50 mix with tap but since im going to a auto feed with promix it uses a low ph so i don’t need to use much ph mix when running ro but i never let it sit for a day until i decided to pull the plug on the auto feeder so now im seeing it
Retiredoldguy and Myfriendis410 are right, with stripped water the typical ph tools won’t read accurately. This not really your issue though as it doesn’t really matter what ph is prior to mixing as long as you set to proper range after mixing.
Potassium silicate will cause some ph swings, but even without the Potassium silicate your ph is going to rise over time if you’re pumping air in. I think most of the autopot users have moved to using wave makers instead to help slow ph. You may also try using a larger res. More solution is usually slower to drift from setpoint.
6 Likes
Airstones will oxygenate the water resulting in drift. Suggest a wave maker. It only moves water, keeping solution well mixed.
2 Likes
Oh didn’t know that… thanks
2 Likes
I use water from a Glacier fillup station right down the road. It’s UV treated, RO, all kinds of filtered. 0ppm. I use 25ml silica for a 5 gallon bucket, but I let it sit for like a day. Then 20g Part A, 4g ES, 10g Part B (cal. nit.). I let it sit because I have a cheap auto drip system that I have set so that I use 5 gallons every 4ish days. I’ve had no issues with it sitting overnight like this. So I don’t start mixing a new batch until there is about ½ gallon left in the feeding bucket. But when I mix a batch, my pH hits 5.91 almost every single time. By the end of the bucket, there isn’t enough drift for me to worry about.
Add/edit… having said all that, I have a small wavemaker too.
1 Like
@dbrn32 how do you use silica as a ph up
1 Like
When i mix nutrients it’s only about 2-3 gallons at a time. I’ll add 5-10ml to a cup of distilled or ro water, once my nutrient solution is completely suspended i will slowly stir in the cup of diluted potassium silicate until my ph comes up to desired setpoint.
The original general hydroponics ph up was potassium silicate solution. It’s now potassium carbonate blend that’s a little more stable.
Mixed jack only and 24hr later ph didnt drift at all…can it be my silica?
Maybe my ph down is bad
Hi Myfriend, I am having a similar issue using RO water/Jacks 321 in AC Infinity self watering bases. My media is 70/30 Coco Perlite mix from Motherearth. I mix in a 5 gallon bucket, RO, then 8ml Calmag, then Jack 321 per formula and ph water to 5.85.
I then fill my self watering bases, and the next morning, if I check the PH of the water in my bases, it is 6.3-6.5 ?? I do have roots growing in the bases… and plants appear to have a mag deficiency.
Can’t figure out why the PH drifts so much? Any ideas would be appreciated
For jacks it is best to let it sit 2hrs before adding any ph. For me after mixing jacks and letting it sit the ph will drift up to 6.0 and sit there for a long time i honestly dont have to ph jacks when i run it in coco with ro
2 Likes
Once in contact with the media th PH will drift towards the media PH. I don’t even bother with adjusting other than when first mixed.
3 Likes
Hi Myfriend, I totally understand, but what I am referring to is in the self watering bases. When I fill the bases and check the ph of the water in the bases used for wicking, the PH is 5.8, and 8 hours later the ph in the bases is 6.4. The only thing in the bases with the water with Jacks321 and Calmag is some of the roots have grown into the bases and are floating in the water… could the roots themselves be dropping the PH that quickly?
I read the below and was wondering if this is what I am experiencing:
|Nutrient uptake in the base itself|
When roots directly sip from the base water, they selectively take up ions.|
Cannabis in flower is a nitrate-heavy feeder. When roots absorb NO₃⁻, they release OH⁻ (alkaline) back into the solution. That drives the pH up.|
This effect is stronger when the roots are sitting in stagnant water rather than drawing up through coco only.|
my experience in my DWC totes is just the opposite…in heavy flower when she craves more P & K nutes she will drive the ph towards 4 down not up… in heavy veg when she craves more N than the others she will drive the ph towards 7… just my experience in my grows…I also only adjust the ph when mixing the nutes …after adding them to my tote I let the plant drive the ph from there…
4 Likes
Thank you for the feedback.
it appears my AC Infinity bases are acting like a DWC system and feeding primarily from the roots that have grown thru the fabric into the bases.
Last night I check the PH in my bases and it was 6.9. I siphoned all the water from the bases and added fresh RO/CalMag/Jacks321 to the bases ph’d to 5.6. 8 hours later, checking the water in the bases, it has drifted up again to 6.4??? At a loss on what to do. I suppose if I started top feeding, and suctioning off the water in the bases, the roots in the bases will end up rotting.
Should I just continue adding a days worth of water to the bases with a lower PH and let it rise and then lower it again next evening?
I ran these same bases last year without issue, just can’t figure out the best way to correct.
Plants are still growing well, the leaves are just lime green and are curled upward along the length.
2 Likes