Help with bluelab ppm meter
- Thread starter 420texan710
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420texan710
Member
I have another question, is there any certain way I should be mixing my nutes? I know I should add the micro before grow and bloom but should I not mix something with the other, or do I need to be waiting a certain amount of time between adding certain things to avoid a lockout?
Im using humboldt micro, grow, bloom with botanicare cal/mag and AN piranha, voodoo juice, tarantula, bud candy. Just ordered big bud.
I'm having another issue also my ph will always rise to about 7.3 within 24hrs of adjusting to 6.3. (I'm currently growing in soil so I mix my solution in a 5 gal bucket and let it sit with an air stone in it for 24hrs before feeding) I plan on trying DWC in a couple weeks as soon as my next batch of clones is ready and would like to try to have this figured out before then.
Im using humboldt micro, grow, bloom with botanicare cal/mag and AN piranha, voodoo juice, tarantula, bud candy. Just ordered big bud.
I'm having another issue also my ph will always rise to about 7.3 within 24hrs of adjusting to 6.3. (I'm currently growing in soil so I mix my solution in a 5 gal bucket and let it sit with an air stone in it for 24hrs before feeding) I plan on trying DWC in a couple weeks as soon as my next batch of clones is ready and would like to try to have this figured out before then.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
muni, well, RO? what water do you use?
that's also a lot of additives that aren't really needed.
Resinhound
Well-Known Member
I got a blue lab truncheon,ill never go back.
420texan710
Member
I'm sorry RO water. Which ones in your opinion?
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
all but your base nutes and the cal/mg aren't really needed.
i use RO too. i like that whatever is in the water is what i put in it.
420texan710
Member
exactly! My bucket starts out at 0 ppm so I like that but I mainly got the other additives for DWC and will only use the voodoo, piranha, tarantula for the suggested first 2weeks of veg and then the first 2 weeks of flower.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
not sure what all those AN products do.
i do use dutchmaster zone for a sterile res.
when you switch to dwc, you'll need to decide to go sterile or with beneficials. i like sterile. it's easier for me to just kill everything.
and if you really get into dwc, a chiller would be an item that you should buy eventually. makes dwc much easier with proper temps
i do use dutchmaster zone for a sterile res.
when you switch to dwc, you'll need to decide to go sterile or with beneficials. i like sterile. it's easier for me to just kill everything.
and if you really get into dwc, a chiller would be an item that you should buy eventually. makes dwc much easier with proper temps
420texan710
Member
I have a small radiator from an old heater that I'm going to try and turn into a chiller.
I've had my BlueLab for about 3 crops now, not one issue. I clean it regularly, and calibrate at the end of each crop. But nothing else.
I found the spot where BlueLab talks about storage of the probe, although they haven't responded yet. Here it is:
"DO NOT use RO (Reverse Osmosis), Distilled or De-ionized water. Pure water changes the chemistry in the reference, causing the probe to die"....
So in storage or not, do not let it sit in any of the above plain water. When they respond with more detail, I'll post it.
I found the spot where BlueLab talks about storage of the probe, although they haven't responded yet. Here it is:
"DO NOT use RO (Reverse Osmosis), Distilled or De-ionized water. Pure water changes the chemistry in the reference, causing the probe to die"....
So in storage or not, do not let it sit in any of the above plain water. When they respond with more detail, I'll post it.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
that's the opposite of what a Milwaukee rep told me. he said keep it in RO or distilled. if you leave it in nutes, it will become coated in salts. and rinse with white vinegar after each use
wonder if the probes are that different b/t the manufacturers?
A few responses to some others:
Check out Flying Skull Z7.......it's quite good for keeping roots and containers clean and healthy and very cheap.
I was always told add you base nutes first i.e. veg or bloom. Then add micros and Cal.Mag. pH when done adding everything.
It's natural for the pH to rise. Certain brands rise more than others. I always though it was the bacterial action of the microbes that causes it. Just pH back down before using again or adjust when it rises out of the normal range. Or use AN pH Perfect, that uses chelates so the roots can absorb at any pH level.
Check out Flying Skull Z7.......it's quite good for keeping roots and containers clean and healthy and very cheap.
I was always told add you base nutes first i.e. veg or bloom. Then add micros and Cal.Mag. pH when done adding everything.
It's natural for the pH to rise. Certain brands rise more than others. I always though it was the bacterial action of the microbes that causes it. Just pH back down before using again or adjust when it rises out of the normal range. Or use AN pH Perfect, that uses chelates so the roots can absorb at any pH level.
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Don't know but what I posted was word for word from the specs of the meter. I just leave it in the reservoir all the time. Before this meter, I too used r.o. water for storage of my old meter but had lots of problems with it.....that's why I switched out to BlueLab. Now I'm curious what BlueLab tech support comes back with.....
420texan710
Member
This one was a freebie also. What kind of yield did you get? Did you like growing it? Did it take well to heavy nutes for you?
420texan710
Member
Humboldts website says to add micro first to prevent lock out. I'm guessing you've never had a problem with doing it the other way though?
I got on some other threads earlier and was reading about ph rise and they said basically everything you said here and that the swing in ph might actually help the plants uptake all the different elements, so I guess I'm just going to give this DWC a go just to see what happens but until I figure it out I'm definitely going to keep my normal sized batch going in soil. Just in case
I heard back from BlueLab...here is there response:
"
Thanks for your question about pH probe storage.
With this, its actually best to store your pH probe in our Bluelab pH Probe KCL Storage Solution, specifically designed for storage of pH probes, rather than in tap water or nutrient water. This is because while the probe is in storage, it may cycle whatever solution it is being stored in - if this is the case, then if it were to be stored in tap water or a nutrient solution, this solution will actually cycle in to the probe, affecting the probe life shortening the useful life of the probe. If the probe is stored in KCl storage solution instead however, this solution is very similar to the solution inside the probe its self so it means that if any solution is cycled into the probe, it helps to rehydrate the probe better and will assist the probe rather than kill it.
I hope this helps. If you need more information please feel free to contact us again, or alternately you can visit our website www.bluelab.com."
"
Thanks for your question about pH probe storage.
With this, its actually best to store your pH probe in our Bluelab pH Probe KCL Storage Solution, specifically designed for storage of pH probes, rather than in tap water or nutrient water. This is because while the probe is in storage, it may cycle whatever solution it is being stored in - if this is the case, then if it were to be stored in tap water or a nutrient solution, this solution will actually cycle in to the probe, affecting the probe life shortening the useful life of the probe. If the probe is stored in KCl storage solution instead however, this solution is very similar to the solution inside the probe its self so it means that if any solution is cycled into the probe, it helps to rehydrate the probe better and will assist the probe rather than kill it.
I hope this helps. If you need more information please feel free to contact us again, or alternately you can visit our website www.bluelab.com."
AKGrowAreo
Well-Known Member
Thats legit. I always use that solution, and I kinda thought I was paying for "snake oil." Now that I know how it works, I guess Ill keep buying it. Haha.
I use Botanicare Pure Blend Pro and it says on the website add the Veg or Bloom first.........maybe it has to do with organic vs. synthetic nutes???? I've been doing this for years, never had an issue. But I would follow the manufacturers recommendations, either way. Botanicare is all inclusive, there is no separate micro nutes so maybe that's key. I also don't do a lot of additives, just cal/mag, then Floralicious, then pH and then Z7 enzyme.
Basically, I never store my meter....it's just kept in my nute water container 24/7. But in the past with old meters, I was storing it away for periods and keeping it in r.o. water but replacing it every 6-9 months. Now I know......
AKGrowAreo
Well-Known Member
I am ordering one of the blue lab monitor/dosers and going to try it out on one res. If I like it Ill prolly get one for each res...