I posted a thread last week entitled hydroton rinsing and received a couple of responses from greenkitty and useless. Both said the hydroton was inert and that they required more information. Well I'm still having problems and here is all the information I have.
* 2 GH Waterfarms with 1 plant in each * Hydroton clay pebbles for the medium - rinsed very well * Germination was in 2" rockwool and conditioned for 2 days in europonic rockwool conditioner. * Plants have been in hydroton for 12 days now and are about 4" tall. I'm just starting to see roots out the holes. * Distilled water because my tap has a ppm of 275 before nutes. * I have used 3 different brands of nutes (FoxFarm, GH Flora & Eco-Gro) all with the same results. * The nutes are mixed and allowed to stabilize for 12 hours, then the pH is adjusted to 5.8 and allowed to stabilize for another 12 hours before I add to the ressy. * Overnight the pH changes from 5.8 to 6.9 and if I don't adjust it will go to 7.1 by the time I get home from work. * ppm is around 450 when I add to ressy and that usually increases as well - by 10-15 pts overnight as well
PLEASE HELP!
bdub420
were the hoses rinsed in between grows? 275 outta the tap is much less harsh then what Im pumpin. I dunno really
Useless
It's not your medium. Try different water. Like a mountain spring water (anything but distilled) and see if that solves it. Otherwise, follow my advice in the other post and use your tap water. 275 isnt bad at all.
mickfoster
Actually Useless it WAS the hydroton medium - I figured it out by conducting a simple experiment. I took equal parts of well rinsed hydroton. 1 part I conditioned for 12 hours with the same conditioner I use for rockwool and thoroughly rinsed it. Then I poured 6.0 stabilized nutrient solution into 2 separate bowls over each of the hydroton pellets. In 12 hours the un-conditioned hydroton/nutrient solution read 7.1 and the conditioned hydroton/nutrient solution was unchanged at 6.0 I do appreciate all the input - from now on I will condition all my new hydroton before I use it.
Useless
Are you using "Hydroton" brand or some clay pellets you're just calling hydroton? If you don't know, crush one of the pellets. Is it black inside? If it is it's the Hydroton brand. Not that I doubt you, I trust your experiment, but I have never, NEVER had a ph problem with Hydroton brand, rinsed or not. HHHMMMMMM....????? Oh well, at least you solved your problem!
