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Thread: Switching from dirt to GH Waterfarm.

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    Default Switching from dirt to GH Waterfarm.

    I've grown in dirt for a very long time. Had all the results, from best to worst. I've purchased a GH Waterfarm reservoir kit and two GH Waterfarm modules. Setting this stuff up was a cinch, so I did enjoy the brief build. I'm using GH nutrients and run of the mill hydroton. I've got a Black Domina X Afghani and a WonderMix popping up right now. The speed of the growth is really surprising in a hydro setup.

    Questions:

    Anchorage has fairly soft water. Like PH7.5-8.0 right outta the tap. The PPM is relatively low, double digits. So that's nice. I don't want to hammer this setup with PH down all the time though. With the nutes mixed in and the PPM at around 650-700, I'm just able to keep the PH below 7. I know the ideal area is 5.5 to 6.5 but I would have to get crunk with the phosphoric acid to achieve that. The seedlings are doing very well, no discoloration, stunting or anything of the kind. Just looking for ideas to control the PH without a ton of acid.

    Does anyone have light penetration problems with the Waterfarm buckets? I'm seeing a tiny bit of algae at the point where the upper bucket that holds the hydroton sits above the water in the lower bucket. I was thinking about just wrapping them in Mylar bubble wrap, of which I have tons.

    Can bleach or peroxide be added to the reservoir during the grow? Will this kill the plants?

    Thanks for checking this out.

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  3. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Godisatree View Post
    I've grown in dirt for a very long time. Had all the results, from best to worst. I've purchased a GH Waterfarm reservoir kit and two GH Waterfarm modules. Setting this stuff up was a cinch, so I did enjoy the brief build. I'm using GH nutrients and run of the mill hydroton. I've got a Black Domina X Afghani and a WonderMix popping up right now. The speed of the growth is really surprising in a hydro setup.

    Questions:

    Anchorage has fairly soft water. Like PH7.5-8.0 right outta the tap. The PPM is relatively low, double digits. So that's nice. I don't want to hammer this setup with PH down all the time though. With the nutes mixed in and the PPM at around 650-700, I'm just able to keep the PH below 7. I know the ideal area is 5.5 to 6.5 but I would have to get crunk with the phosphoric acid to achieve that. The seedlings are doing very well, no discoloration, stunting or anything of the kind. Just looking for ideas to control the PH without a ton of acid.

    Does anyone have light penetration problems with the Waterfarm buckets? I'm seeing a tiny bit of algae at the point where the upper bucket that holds the hydroton sits above the water in the lower bucket. I was thinking about just wrapping them in Mylar bubble wrap, of which I have tons.

    Can bleach or peroxide be added to the reservoir during the grow? Will this kill the plants?

    Thanks for checking this out.
    Oxy plus is what you want i think its 4% hydrogen peroxide not certain tho, and if you dont want to adjust ph buy advanced nutrients, you dont want it keeping at 7 in hydro anyways thats for sure.

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    Right on. The Advanced Nutrients brand has a good ability to pull down PH? I imagine that once I'm past seedlings and I can up my PPM, my PH will come down with the addition of more nutrients. I don't want it there either, I just don't want to dump in tons of PH down on a monthly basis.

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    You'll find with very soft water like yours that you'll only need to use a very small amount of pH down.

    I have soft water and use ionic nutrients. After mixing, my pH is around 6.1 and I use 2 drops of pH down to reach 5.5.

    Because there's very little mineral content in your water, there's nothing to buffer the pH. The amount you'll need to use shouldn't be a bother. I can't see you needing to dump tons in
    Too weird to live, too rare to die

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    That's good news then. I'll splash it with a bit tonight, let it circulate for the requisite four hours or so and see where it goes.

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    Cover anthing that light can get to with white reflective sheeting... Easy as that... + Advanced nutrients are not ph perfect until around full strength.. not saying An aren't good news but its just to pull you in... plus 7.5-8.0 is pretty normal for tapwater..
    Last edited by B.A.BARACUS; 22-02-17 at 11:50 PM.

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    Word. I'll get some mounting tape and stick the Mylar to the outside of my buckets. I wasn't really concerned about the algae, yet. I figured if I had a red tide or something, then get crazy with the amendments and mechanics.

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    I didn't have to add as much PH down as I thought I would. I've pulled it down to 5.75, which seems like a good place to stop screwing with it.

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    Here's a picture of it.

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  19. #10

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    Here's what she's looking like today.

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