Grow Mediums How to Stabilize PH in your Reservoir

[Mañ'O'Green]

You give up DWC in summer? Why you dont use AC?

It costs over $300 per month to run the AC and it is too dry RH ~10% then also. I have very good results with the rock wool and use only 30% of the nutrients compared to DWC which saves money also.

 

[WhiteLight]

It costs over $300 per month to run the AC and it is too dry RH ~10% then also. I have very good results with the rock wool and use only 30% of the nutrients compared to DWC which saves money also.

But how do you manage temps now?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

But how do you manage temps now?

I live in the San Joaquin Valley of California, Summers are very hot and dry. I use an evaporative cooler in the summer. It keeps the temperatures under 88°F in the grow space with RH ~ 60% (a little high for flower but manageable) In the winter the heater keeps the house ~68°F and in the space ~78°F with the lights. An 88°F reservoir temperature is way to high for dissolved oxygen and a chiller large enough to chill 45 gallons of reservoir was too big to fit in the space I have to work with.

The rock wool solved the oxygen problem as they pull air into the cube as they dry back. It took me a few grows to get the drip irrigation dialed in. I am approaching 1.7gpw yield which is what I was getting in DWC. The new SpiderFarm lights are claiming 2.3 gpw They have my interest. a few guys here are running them so we will see how those numbers work out in a real garden.

 

[WhiteLight]

I live in the San Joaquin Valley of California, Summers are very hot and dry. I use an evaporative cooler in the summer. It keeps the temperatures under 88°F in the grow space with RH ~ 60% (a little high for flower but manageable) In the winter the heater keeps the house ~68°F and in the space ~78°F with the lights. An 88°F reservoir temperature is way to high for dissolved oxygen and a chiller large enough to chill 45 gallons of reservoir was too big to fit in the space I have to work with.

The rock wool solved the oxygen problem as they pull air into the cube as they dry back. It took me a few grows to get the drip irrigation dialed in. I am approaching 1.7gpw yield which is what I was getting in DWC. The new SpiderFarm lights are claiming 2.3 gpw They have my interest. a few guys here are running them so we will see how those numbers work out in a real garden.

I was seeing about the spider farm just today a guy with a mustache on youtube saying it has the most joules of all leds...

3 hours later my seedling looks ok in the bucket. Ph'ed down once more and again tomorrow morning.

So how often do i need to use my nitric acid? Every time i see it over 6.2 bring it down to 5.6?

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

I was seeing about the spider farm just today a guy with a mustache on youtube saying it has the most joules of all leds...

3 hours later my seedling looks ok in the bucket. Ph'ed down once more and again tomorrow morning.

So how often do i need to use my nitric acid? Every time i see it over 6.2 bring it down to 5.6?

That is a pretty big swing. I would shoot to keep it between 5.8 and 6.2 That gives you a little wiggle room if you miss a little. It is not a good thing to overcorrect and have to use the other PH treatment to go back the other way, high or low.