DIY: pH Down - EASY!
- Thread starter Enigma
- Start date
Which part bothers you? The "battery" or the "acid". It only becomes "battery acid" when you put it into a battery. Until that point, it's just acid. BY definition, ALL ph down products will be some sort of acid.
PSUAGRO.
Well-Known Member
Here you go fellas : http://www.wmbarr.com/product.aspx?catid=32&prodid=81 35-45% phosphoric acid/water......strong concentration/dilute accordingly
The op is right ph down is a sulfuric/phosphoric acid blend.....MAJOR markup
This Kleanstrip product is sold at Homedepot..........this shit should last you forever
The op is right ph down is a sulfuric/phosphoric acid blend.....MAJOR markup
This Kleanstrip product is sold at Homedepot..........this shit should last you forever
kuwaitiguy9
Active Member
What does "buffer" mean?
A buffer is something that stabilizes the PH. It kind of keeps it from changing. That being said, I have ran many systems and different plants using battery acid and I have never had any issues at all with PH swings. It stays where I set it or ticks up .1 over a few days. If you have PH swings, there is something else going on.
kuwaitiguy9
Active Member
Cool. Thanks dude.
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
this is blarney! 7$ for a qt of battery acid? why spend that on a caustic solution when a qt of applecider vinegar can be had for 2.99? battery acid is known to contain heavy metals and lead that will end up in your plants. i liken this thread to someone using rock salt on there french fries because its so concentrated they can get it for cheaper than table salt.
Rock salt isn't concentrated, salt is salt. Sulfuric acid works better than vinegar. Sulfuric acid is about 10xs cheaper than vinegar as 1 quart of sulfuric acid makes many gallons of PH down. Vinegar smells like shit.
Vinegar adds other things to the grow medium. You have no idea what you are talking about.
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
organic apple cider vinegar is beneficial to the grow. table salt is not the same as rock salt. rock salt is more concentrated halite form of sodium chloride. table salt has iodide added to it giving it less sodium chloride than rock salt. the only reason i can think of someone getting a chunk of rock salt for their fries is if they have an industrial sized pepper mill. ur making the point that its better to buy a concentrated chemical to save 3 dollars in the long run even though it can cause blindness. good job next thing youl be talking about using human feces as a nitrogen fert
Table salt contains .006% potassium iodine as a health additive for thyroid issues. Not all salt contains this, they sell non iodize table salt too. It is sodium chloride just like rock salt. You have no idea what you are talking about. They sell rock salt in the baking aisle, btw. Guess why they call corned beef 'corned' beef.
Battery acid isn't going to make you blind unless you put it in your eyes. It is right up there with bleach which most of us use all the time. Concentrated acetic acid will do the same thing(Thats what is in vinegar.)
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
Table salt contains .006% potassium iodine as a health additive for thyroid issues. Not all salt contains this, they sell non iodize table salt too. It is sodium chloride just like rock salt. You have no idea what you are talking about. They sell rock salt in the baking aisle, btw. Guess why they call corned beef 'corned' beef.
Battery acid isn't going to make you blind unless you put it in your eyes. It is right up there with bleach which most of us use all the time. Concentrated acetic acid will do the same thing(Thats what is in vinegar.)
yes we use bleach all the time in our grows.
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
one advantage of acetic acid is that it dissolves insoluble calcium salts and if water is abundant they will leach away. So sulfur and iron sulfate amendments and occasional vinegar treatment may work for most situations. sulfuric acid is blarney. blueberry growers do not go to the store to buy battery acid.
Sulfuric acid is so violently toxic that people put it in their fishtank full of expensive fish to lower the ph - it comes in a bottle that says fish ph down on it. It must be deadly poisonous. Hydroponic growers don't go to the store to buy fish equipment and storage containers either, right? I use sulfuric acid from the autoparts store for my berry bushes. Why are you bothering to argue something you don't know anything about?
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
your arguing that the cheapest of cheap no matter the dangers or ill conceived premonitions of any benefit are superior to a slightly more expensive alternative that just happens be 10 times more beneficial to your plants.
organicapple cider vinegar will benefit your grow 10 fold the results youd get from sulfuric acid. not only does the aerobic bacteria in the vinegar break down nutrients to be made readily available to the roots, it fights of anaerobic bacteria creating a highly oxygenated environment that your plants will thrive in. The following USDA website indicates that cider vinegar contains some essential mineral nutrients, including significant amounts of potassium (730 mg/liter), phosphorus (80 mg/liter), calcium (70 mg/liter) and magnesium (50 mg/liter).
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
it contains calcium phosphorus magnesium copper zinc manganese and selenium.
if this isnt reason enough to switch over from diluted acid i dont know what to tell you. the benefits outweigh the extra 5$ your going to spend on it. VERY IMPORTANT EDIT:
reacting sulfuric acid with potassium nitrate can be used to produce nitric acid ,
nitric acid reacts violently with many organic materials and the reactions may be explosive.
potassium nitrate just happens to be a main ingredient in many hydroponic grows, makes sense now why most ph downs are made from phosphoric acid. once again organic apple cider vinegar comes out the winner as the superior ph down.
organicapple cider vinegar will benefit your grow 10 fold the results youd get from sulfuric acid. not only does the aerobic bacteria in the vinegar break down nutrients to be made readily available to the roots, it fights of anaerobic bacteria creating a highly oxygenated environment that your plants will thrive in. The following USDA website indicates that cider vinegar contains some essential mineral nutrients, including significant amounts of potassium (730 mg/liter), phosphorus (80 mg/liter), calcium (70 mg/liter) and magnesium (50 mg/liter).
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
it contains calcium phosphorus magnesium copper zinc manganese and selenium.
if this isnt reason enough to switch over from diluted acid i dont know what to tell you. the benefits outweigh the extra 5$ your going to spend on it. VERY IMPORTANT EDIT:
reacting sulfuric acid with potassium nitrate can be used to produce nitric acid ,
nitric acid reacts violently with many organic materials and the reactions may be explosive.
potassium nitrate just happens to be a main ingredient in many hydroponic grows, makes sense now why most ph downs are made from phosphoric acid. once again organic apple cider vinegar comes out the winner as the superior ph down.
Vinegar concentrate isn't equal to sulfuric acid concentrate for one. It isn't beneficial in any real sense, and it doesn't work as well. No one would argue this except someone who is half ass at growing. It is like arguing CFLs are better than HIDs.
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
gotcha, now i expect a reply about a porsche and an rc car and about them being in the same league(baseball?)
applepoop1984
Well-Known Member
yes calcium nitrate would also be acceptable and aid in flowering and trichome production cell division etc. but remember dont over do it as it binds to phosphates if your using calcium acetate. calcium nitrate however is a good fert to use for calcium uptake and does not bind to phosphates