pulpoinspace
Well-Known Member
i use mad farmer. phosphoric acid i believe. 2 ml brings a gallon from 8 to 6.
Ok, I'm lost, in over my head. lolIt will work as pH Up but is slow reacting.
So true but what gets me is how much pH up or down to people actually go through?AN pH down is just phosphoric acid. You can get a gallon of 85% for $39.95. AN is no stronger than that.
In fact that's basically what it is. AN pH down has 55% phosphate according to their own label.
The most common source of phosphoric acid is an 85% aqueous solution;
"commercial- or merchant-grade phosphoric acid, which contains about 54–62% P2O5"
AN just cost more to put it into a fancy bottle with a shiny label. But all it is is food grade phosphoric acid that can be bought for half of what AN charges. There is NOTHING special about AN pH products.
https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Grade-Phosphoric-Remover-Clean/dp/B06XZSW3QX/
We go through a lot around here. Water comes out of the tap under 200ppm but close to 9 pH. I live in Southern California and I’ve talked to a few other people around here and they have the same thing. It’s the only thing I run out of usually haha.So true but what gets me is how much pH up or down to people actually go through?
I bought 1L bottles of each over 10 years ago and still have most of both left still. The only thing I've needed the Up bottle for was to boil some down to get the potassium hydroxide I wanted to make a 5% sol'n with EverClear as a reagent for doing the Beam's test for CBD. Ended up getting a pound of pure KOH and using that instead. Thought I needed lots but only have to use 5 drops of it for each test and made 500mls of the damn stuff. Drank the other 250ml of EverClear and got a good pissup out of it at least. Tempted to toss 250ml of the sol'n into my still and recover the booze for another pissup.
If it's listed in the ingredients for pH down then it's added as a buffer because it will raise pH but not a lot.Ok, I'm lost, in over my head. lol
The MSDS I that linked lists calcium carbonate in Blue Gold ph down.
Do not use industrial stuff like that. They don't list all the ingredients in something like that as it's not a consumable product so they don't have to. Like battery acid you can get at the parts store. Sure it's sulfuric acid but they don't have to use pure sulfuric so most likely has high levels of heavy metal contaminants in it compared to the analytical grade sulfuric I have.
Trade Secrets! LOLIt lists only water, Calcium Carbonate (negative charged) and sulfur. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hN0O0yXTU1x_2Sz2R1cOd_L_n-337gqV/view
Think of all the money you save not having to add CalMag. Alkaline water like that must be high in both and I assume you've had it tested.We go through a lot around here. Water comes out of the tap under 200ppm but close to 9 pH. I live in Southern California and I’ve talked to a few other people around here and they have the same thing. It’s the only thing I run out of usually haha.
Yeah tons of calcium i never use calmag. I think its mostly calcium carbonate IIRC.Think of all the money you save not having to add CalMag. Alkaline water like that must be high in both and I assume you've had it tested.
How are the water levels down there this year? The aquifers are getting more drained and polluted so it won't be too many more years before it'll all be surface water or nothing and demands on the Colorado River are already way too high.
I bet the eco-warriors won't bitch when Canada wants to build a pipeline to send all our water south to save you guys from dying of thirst. Should sell for more than they are willing to pay for our Alberta bitumen.
Water is the next commodity we'll be fighting wars over sadly.
I have over 12,000 cubic meters of water in my dugout so I'm good for a while.
I saw some shit about people getting their lawns dyed green ffs.i think they're letting people water their lawns again tho. it got pretty touch and go for a while there.
The same for the hydrochloric sold in hardware stores?Do not use industrial stuff like that. They don't list all the ingredients in something like that as it's not a consumable product so they don't have to. Like battery acid you can get at the parts store. Sure it's sulfuric acid but they don't have to use pure sulfuric so most likely has high levels of heavy metal contaminants in it compared to the analytical grade sulfuric I have.
Great, now I know who to bother with my dumb chemistry questions!I worked as a chemist in a hazardous waste facility for a couple years back in the early 90s and brought lots of goodies home. Got a big jug of virgin sulfuric and a smaller one of fuming nitric acid.
Thanks for the explanation. Lot's of good info in this thread. Yes, I have a Milwaukee MW-102 and have done a lot of research on use and maintenance. I'll try to post all the good info I've found later today.... saved my probe after accidentally letting it dry out.The sulfur will be in the form of sulfuric acid with the CaCO3 added as a buffer.
You have a decent pH pen and know how to care for it and use it properly?
Pretty much the same.The same for the hydrochloric sold in hardware stores?
It's been 30 years since I graduated environmental chem so don't expect a doctoral thesis eh.Great, now I know who to bother with my dumb chemistry questions!
Fuming nitric, fun stuff! The dense, purple clouds look really cool! It was Saddam Hussein's favorite torture!
Is it more dangerous than other concentrated acids?
Actually if you don't plan to use a pH pen for a long while putting it away to dry out is OK but like when you get a new one it should re-hydrate in storage sol'n for at least 24 hours or longer before attempting to use it again. I put mine away for almost 3 years before using it a few months ago and it's at least 7 years old now and still works fine. Was a bit slow to respond as the reference prob had got dirty so I used two part cleaning sol'ns to clean it well and it's much faster now and calibrates fine at 7 and 4.Thanks for the explanation. Lot's of good info in this thread. Yes, I have a Milwaukee MW-102 and have done a lot of research on use and maintenance. I'll try to post all the good info I've found later today.... saved my probe after accidentally letting it dry out.
Hi guys,
I bought this stuff xtsho referenced and first time I used it...it totally fucked with my nutrients. All I had was Maxi-bloom and a generic calmag in the res...and when I added the sodium hydroxide, the res went totally cloudy and I ended up with a layer of sediment in the res.
Just thought I'd throw that out as an example of what not to do. I did use sulfuric acid while I was heavy into hydro...and it worked perfectly. Smooth and strong...
Cheers,
JD
Hi Xtsho,Hmm, I never had that issue and I do know for a fact that it is used in some commercial hydroponic operations. You do have to dilute it into a solution before adding to a reservoir. You don't just add it straight. Just like you should dilute phosphoric acid/pH up before adding to the reservoir.
So true. I'd say almost all problems come from a lack of probe maintenance and understanding.Milwaukee makes good gear so should last you for a while. Most of the makers web sites have good info on care and maintenance and it's pretty much the same for each. Biggest problem is most people haven't a clue and don't bother looking. lol
How long does the hydroxide hold the ph raised? Like 2-3 days? A week?Sulfuric Acid works just fine and is extremely inexpensive as well. You don't have to buy anything fancy to lower or raise pH. I still have a 1 pound container of sodium hydroxide/lye that I got for pH up over ten years ago. Cost $3.99 at ACE hardware. I never have the need to raise pH now that I'm not running large reservoirs for flood and drain.
That depends on how much acid is present to use it up. If you need to use pH Up a lot then you should be using potassium hydroxide instead of the sodium one. Once in a while is OK but too much sodium is why we don't use sea water on our plants. Most pH Up uses 10% pot. hydroxide. Both types are commonly used to make soap.How long does the hydroxide hold the ph raised? Like 2-3 days? A week?