Comment

Comment by DJ Wambach on January 3, 2014 at 2:54pm

@Kim and Dr. Brooks, I am very new to this but I am also a Certified Pool Operator and deal with the acid at work. I would not wish to use something that harsh with my fish. In my small in house 50 gal tank we have used PH Down bought from Aquaponic source in Boulder and had great luck with it.

Comment by Miriam Badou on January 3, 2014 at 11:46am

I have the opposite problem with my PH. I can't keep mine above 6.0. Ever since my system has been cycled, it has dropped and stayed there. Does this low PH have an effect on the oxygen levels? My nitrate levels are in the 90 to 120 range and my growbeads are full and happy.

Comment by Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. on January 3, 2014 at 6:28am

Personally yes. I tried the citrus and vinegar methods but they did not work for me and anecdotal information suggests that they kills bacteria as well. Looked at the pH down products and they seemed to be expensive and much to do about nothing though I know some disagree and I hope they chime it to give their opinion.

Muriatic acid is basically HCl (Hydrochloric acid) and little to nothing else so you know exactly what you are getting and not getting. The Chlorine volatilizes off quickly leaving H2 to drive down your pH (potential Hydrogen). It is cheap. Efficient. But dangerous to handle. It can etch concrete and put just as large a hole in you. I use gloves and glasses. Used improperly it can drive your pH down so quickly as to kill your fish and/or bacteria. The fumes are nothing to play with either. Finally you must pay attention to the concentration of the product you are buying. The product from the grocery store tends to be much weaker (20%) than the  product from the pool store (35%).

On the other hand, once you learn to use it, I have found no better means of controlling pH prior to the time when your system balances. Eventually your system will reach a place where enough ammonia (NH3+3) is being generated that its conversion to NO2 (Nitrite) will release enough H2 into your system to maintain the pH without the addition of acid, pH down or any other product. Tannins from the decay of roots and leaves are said to also work to drive down the pH in your system over time. However reaching this state takes some practice as well. 

Comment by Kim Romen on January 3, 2014 at 12:31am

thx Jim and Dr. Brooks!

Dr. Brooks (and others) Do you use muriatic pool acid to lower pH?  I wanted to go more natural but saw lemon and vinegar can be found to cause problems. 

thanks much...!

Comment by Jacques L. on January 2, 2014 at 8:57am

@DJ & Robert

I'm going to have to concur with Robert on this with regards to temps affecting the blooming of a particular plant.

I've got an eggplant growing rather robustly in 1/3 of one of my beds and there have been plenty of the purple stuff coming off the vine up until about 3-4 weeks ago. Now its producing just flowers, but that's it. 

Best guess is that as soon as temps get back in to the low mid 50's during the nights again, its gonna remain that way with just flowers blooming.

Again, its all a learning curve. Plants still have growing seasons in an AP system just as in dirt farming. Year round growth just isn't in the cards for some plants.
Its in the genes ;) 

Comment by Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. on January 2, 2014 at 8:42am

Each system is unique as is each person's management style. To meet my personal goals I need to optimize my systems for maximum plant and fish growth. In that the optimal pH ranges for the two can be quite difference (tilapia 7-8, plants as detailed in this table: http://www.almanac.com/content/ph-preferences), some compromise is required. After some experimentation and as suggested by many in the industry, I have found 6.8 or so gives me the best results. Just a personal opinion.

Comment by Robert Rowe on January 2, 2014 at 7:17am

@DJ I plant outdoors based on the planting calander and am not biologically literate; however, in the past week or so someone commented that the flowers will not make fruit unless a certain temperature is reached. Are you getting blossoms? How are you pollinating them?

We have a scarcity of bees resulting in less than normal germination.

Comment by DJ Wambach on January 2, 2014 at 4:09am

I have a small system in my house with a 50 gal FT 6 gold fish and one small GB(14 gal). Whatever I plant will grow very fast and tall even get some flowers but not produce. It like it spends all the food power into growing tall. 

I have had been plants that are over 3 feet tall, tomato plants wrap around the grow light and lettuce that get about 3 inch tall and withers away.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Comment by Jim Troyer on January 2, 2014 at 12:56am

@ Jacques:

Thanks for the nice update

@ Kim:  pH is just a way to state how many available hydrogen atoms there are in a solution; normal is about 7.  Phoenix area water is around 8.2 pH, if you look at the charts below you will see that everything is available at 8.  The plants may have a little tougher time up-taking those minerals but they are still available.  That's why we are adding minerals to your system with ironite <wink>  I got 'cha covered...

@ Kris Let us know how that media works out.  I tried vermiculite when I first started 4 years ago and it eventually dissolved.  I'm a fan of cinders now for both cost and effectivity.

ET AL: Happy New Year, May this next year be a blessed one.  Jim

Comment by Dr. George B. Brooks, Jr. on January 1, 2014 at 10:55pm

Greetings Kim. Here are some links that might help:

http://www.almanac.com/content/ph-preferences

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/understanding-ph

http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/how-lower-your-soil-ph

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