how do you PH DWC

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hippy59

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I am building my own DWC 5 gallon 5 bucket system. I have grown in dirt mostly and about the last 3 years in cocoa, which I enjoyed and learned a lot. In my 40 some years of growing and having fish I have noticed that my PH will not stay down after I PH my water. I must PH almost daily for months till I break that PH barrier for my new fish tanks. so it will be the same thing for my DWC system. that's why the 5 buckets. I have looked at a lot of DWC, RDWC and UF( underflow?)DWC systems, all of which eather suck, is overkill, for what I want or just way way to expensive. so I build my own.

sorry I babble most of the time. lol. amyway I don't see how PHing my 1 " resevroar " bucket is gonna help with the other 4 buckets, that are all aligned in a c shape or even an o shape. the plants don't eat that much water. so I am thinking of just buying a very small pump to kind of give it a very small flow from my resevroar bucket to the number 5 or end bucket. I am not really interested in top feeding my plants as this is no longer DWC but more like a drip system.

how is everyone else PHing in DWC without lifting the plants out of the buckets all the time?
 
I do not run recirculating systems. Tell me a bit more about your system. I don't really understand this: "so I am thinking of just buying a very small pump to kind of give it a very small flow from my resevroar bucket to the number 5 or end bucket"?

I think you will find that as the plants get big that they will uptake a lot of water. Some thirsty strains can drink up to a gallon a day.
 
I add nutes then bubble for 24 hrs then pH and bubble for an additional 24 hrs. Re-adjust till proper pH is achieved then use in buckets. I then let the pH drift to 6.1 before changing out the buckets with new nute solution. For me the bigger the rez the easier to adjust and maintain the pH.
 
I do not run recirculating systems. Tell me a bit more about your system. I don't really understand this: "so I am thinking of just buying a very small pump to kind of give it a very small flow from my resevroar bucket to the number 5 or end bucket"?

I think you will find that as the plants get big that they will uptake a lot of water. Some thirsty strains can drink up to a gallon a day.

Im thinking its gonna be 7-10 days between nute changes, and the pump would just add some of the reserve nutes to the last bucket to have a bit of flow to make sure everything is PHed\fed right. that's my thinking anyway.

I'll likely just run it with no pump and see what happens. a lot of ppl seem to be having good luck with it.
 
I add nutes then bubble for 24 hrs then pH and bubble for an additional 24 hrs. Re-adjust till proper pH is achieved then use in buckets. I then let the pH drift to 6.1 before changing out the buckets with new nute solution. For me the bigger the rez the easier to adjust and maintain the pH.

that's basically how I did my cocoa run, but the ph would always go up to 7.* the next day and the next and the next.
 
What kind of water are you using? R/O water might be your next step if your nutes are unable to break the buffers in the water.
 
Im thinking its gonna be 7-10 days between nute changes, and the pump would just add some of the reserve nutes to the last bucket to have a bit of flow to make sure everything is PHed\fed right. that's my thinking anyway.

I'll likely just run it with no pump and see what happens. a lot of ppl seem to be having good luck with it.

I do individual buckets and do not have a res bucket. If you do not run a pump and recirculate through the res, I believe that it will be hard to get the pH correct in every bucket.

I have always done pretty much like duck. I do not have to always be messing with my pH though. I start low and let it climb slowly. I also do res changes every 7-10 days.
 
I add nutes then bubble for 24 hrs then pH and bubble for an additional 24 hrs. Re-adjust till proper pH is achieved then use in buckets. I then let the pH drift to 6.1 before changing out the buckets with new nute solution. For me the bigger the rez the easier to adjust and maintain the pH.

If I may, what pH do you start at?
Do you cap the containers over the 48 hours?
Do you have a bubbler in each bucket and or the res as well?
tia mr duck
 
Well here is my two cents, hydro is not hard but it is complex, as in there are many things that are interdependent on each other, My advice would be to try a simple 5 gal DWC, using the knowledge from the people around here, they wont steer you wrong and once you have the basic's down you will understand how making small changes affect your whole system. Good luck and green mojo brother.
 
I start at 5.5 / 5.6 area and let it drift up. I put an air stone in each bucket and the rez when mixing nutes.
 
I am curious about the pH question in hydro. I see those who have chimed in saying that your pH drifts up. Mine always drifts down. However, I use Jungle Juice 3part. Is everyone else using the GH Flora? I am wondering if it is just the nature of the Jungle Juice that it drifts down or is it just the nature of the GH Flora that it drifts up, or are we doing something basically and fundamentally different that is controlling this?
 
I am curious about the pH question in hydro. I see those who have chimed in saying that your pH drifts up. Mine always drifts down. However, I use Jungle Juice 3part. Is everyone else using the GH Flora? I am wondering if it is just the nature of the Jungle Juice that it drifts down or is it just the nature of the GH Flora that it drifts up, or are we doing something basically and fundamentally different that is controlling this?

It's the intake of the plant. If you're doing DWC, this has a great chance of happening if you're not topping off with water EVERY day. If there's not enough food in the mix, PH will rise, if there's too much, PH will fall. Also, varying issues will make a PH drop. But, you want to "ride the wave" and ramp it up from whatever your low point is (mine is no lower than 5.7) to whatever your high point is (mine is no higher than 6.3) over a set amount of time (depending on res size). My res is 40 gal, with an ATO water system behind it that's 30 gal. 6.1-6.3 PH'd clean water goes in that, and I start at 5.7 ph from a fresh change out. Over 1 week time, my goal is to float up.. however much. At that 7 day mark, I will "add back" nutes to get my PPM's back up.. this will get the PH slightly down, but usually not below 5.7 especially if I add back when PH is at around 6.1. After 2 weeks, I do an entire res dump and reset and do it all over again.

I stopped using Jungle Juice, as PJ says it's really just a lower form of GH. I always thought it was great, and now that I use GH... I think things swing a little better. No idea why.

PH is not ment to drift down.. I always thought this was subjective, but it seems it is not. You want to "ramp up" and rise over time the correct direction. It shows that the plant is eating (especially if you compare with your PPM's at time of rise / decrease)


Hope this helps a little bit. Or confuses the hell out of ya... it'll do one of the two HAH! :D

Much love HP!! :aok:
 
My DWC grows PH drifted up also.,,and i use Dutch Master Ferts.
 
I have got some Jungle Juice, but have not used it yet. I REFUSE to support Scott's and Monsanto, so I will never ever be buying GH products again. If the JJ is just a cheap GH (they do seem to have the same formula, not sure what makes the JJ a cheaper version of GH) and if it does not work, I will have to find something else.

Like duck, I start my pH low--about 5.4 or 5.5--there are nutrients that are not uptaken at levels of 5.7 and up http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1908. Why should pH go up instead of down?
 
guess I'm just gonna have to get the system started and see what happens. I know it goes from 5.8 to 7.4 over night in a 5 gallon pail with stones but no plant, so maybe in DWC it will take longer to go up. (?) guess we'll see in a few months. thanks all.
 
If it is doing that with no plants, you have not broken the buffers in your water supply.
 
they do seem to have the same formula, not sure what makes the JJ a cheaper version of GH

It's roughly the same but about 4x weaker, according to PJ. Hence why you have to use so many ML's to get the PPM's to where they need to be.

THG, if you want to use a great nute, and not support Monsanto, your best bet (and a nute I'm dying to use) is Technaflora. They are rather expensive, but seems to be a rather phenomenal nute line! I have a fellow grower in another state that's used it for 10 years, and loves it. I would recommend that to you miss :D
 
Its what i used before i "got" switched over to an by my hydro guy...it's friken awesome, and i would highly recommend them.
 
Kraven, why are you using AN if the Technaflora is better? Which AN products are you using?
 
I am curious about the pH question in hydro. I see those who have chimed in saying that your pH drifts up. Mine always drifts down. However, I use Jungle Juice 3part. Is everyone else using the GH Flora? I am wondering if it is just the nature of the Jungle Juice that it drifts down or is it just the nature of the GH Flora that it drifts up, or are we doing something basically and fundamentally different that is controlling this?

Despite the best help around, my DWC's Ph runs "backwards" too Hushpuppy. (GH Flora)

I've tried 24/48 hour pre-mixing with and without bubbling, using Epsom VS GH grow, adding KoobBloom etc etc

No matter what, or who's advice I try, I always end up heading down towards 5.0 in 1-2 days.

Good Luck
:48:
 

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