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Post by Rug on Oct 22, 2007 16:02:32 GMT -5
Wow speaking of water PH. I got a PH tested from work (since they have to replace their meeters every 2 years, I figured the used ones would be a fine addition to my collection.) So I tested the rain water that I have collected and its a staggering 9.2! What do you use to reduce the PH that is CP safe? Can I add pool PH - ? Or can I add peat to the water? What is the best and safest way?
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Post by Rick Hillier on Oct 22, 2007 16:13:44 GMT -5
9.2!!! Holy cripe... was the rainwater collected directly or was it collected as runoff from something.
>>> Rick <<<
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Post by Rug on Oct 22, 2007 17:36:44 GMT -5
It was collected off my hot tub lid and directly in other containers. I then stored it in plastic water jugs. It reads 12 ppm on my tds meter. Its also got algae in it, which was the first clue of a high ph. Any tips? Or should I just ditch it into my bog?
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Post by Syble on Oct 22, 2007 19:53:02 GMT -5
sure make me paroniod living about 45 minutes away from you!!! Sib
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Post by Rug on Oct 22, 2007 20:00:51 GMT -5
LOL I think a little common sense just filtered into my head. I collect water from my hot tub cover using a kiddie pool positioned where the most water tends to fall off the cover. After thinking just a bit I figured that since the water tends to slope off that side it must mean that its not quite level on that side. So any built up evaporation from the tub itself will collect and drip off the same side, added PH and all. So I guess that must be the reason for the added PH. So my question is still this, is there a CP safe PH lowerer? That way I don't ahve to lose all this water cause I have about 100 gallons or more!
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Post by lloyd on Oct 22, 2007 20:15:36 GMT -5
If your hot tub is like my pool, it's got a high pH. I would think that any evaporated water from the hot tub would be like distilled but if there's any splashed water it would be have a high pH too. Since the rain has a tds of 12 it has almost no buffering capacity. So even a little bit of hot tub water would really increase the pH of the rain water which should be acid almost anywhere where people live. The good part is that with a tds of 12, the pH of 9.2 of the rain water would be immediately buffered to an acid pH by the addition of any peat. Try it and see. If you put CP roots into the rainwater with a pH of 9.2 it might burn the roots. But any medium with peat should immediately acidify the rainwater.
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Post by Rug on Oct 23, 2007 19:56:45 GMT -5
I put a 4" pot of peat into the water and it brought it down to 6.2 within seconds. I think I will put some into all my water collectors to keep the PH stable. I had noticed that a few of my neps were suffering (in LFS) and wondered about the water so tested it and thats what I had gotten!
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Post by Flytrap on Oct 24, 2007 3:05:43 GMT -5
I got to check my rainwater one day. I've got a couple of large collectors in the yard, including a gigantic fat rainbarrel - that fills up quickly during one of our many rain storms.
My problem with rain is that the water is so very cold, and it's not easy lugging large buckets of water into the home to warm up.
The other big headache i have with rainwater is the many dead bugs all covered with fungus ... these critters drowned in the water and I wonder if this diluted bug soup is full of bacteria or full of nutrients for my plants....
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Post by Rug on Oct 26, 2007 17:31:31 GMT -5
I can't believe it but all the rain water I'm collecting is over 9 PH. I added some peat moss to some of it and it came down but after a day and a bit more rain its over 10 now. I used stips and my PH meter and get the same reading. Weird as I thought we had acid rain here!
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Post by sticky on Oct 26, 2007 17:57:40 GMT -5
hey guys, see was i bs'n 9.2 that should come with a warning label use either phosphoric or sulfuric acid depending on the species i remember that quote what was it "who ya going to trust me or the newbie. should be between 4-5 thats why i have live sphagnum like 15 trays. ph causes moss to decompose and since max root nutrient absorbtion occurs at 6.3 . for terrestrials .why give it something that kills it .decomposes the medium and screws with the nutrient absortion in the traps and foliage but hey what do i know ? i use phosphoric .hey maybe we can develop an alkaline species. if your mediums stinks ph too alkaline.plus it effects bacteria and other helpful creatures in the moss . been to every bog in ontario and then some never seen over 5 red not blue i sell simple test kits ,acids ,other good stuff but was sluffed off if you want some ph stuff pm me newbie oops i mean sticky rug ill send some acid to your address for the awesome plants you sent me .add drop by drop anyone else can pm me for some i also have simple $20 drop kits very accurate for testing ph and as for temp water holds most 02 at 4 degrees celcius so when it warms it screws up the ph
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Post by Rug on Oct 26, 2007 18:14:47 GMT -5
LOL Thnx for the help Sticky I appreciate it very much! I always wanted to know what to add!
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Post by sticky on Oct 26, 2007 18:24:29 GMT -5
rug , its 5% phosphoric acid food grade i have 5%-100% how much water we talkin for 100 liters 50% phos 1 liter will last a year ill express it to ya on monday and thats funny iget it off my pool cover ph's like 9-10
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Post by Rug on Oct 26, 2007 18:43:51 GMT -5
I have a couple kiddie pools and a few 35 gallon drums. They all have a high PH of over 9. And Thnx again! I suppose I could get it off my pool cover as well I will just have to check for chlorine first.
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Post by lloyd on Oct 26, 2007 19:45:27 GMT -5
pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/2.htmlThe site above says that unpolluted rain should be slightly acidic around 5.6. My rainwater in Toronto tested at 6.2. It's weird your pH is so alkaline. I guess you have calibrated your meter. I calibrate every time I use mine with two references 7.01 & 9.2.
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Post by sticky on Oct 27, 2007 18:28:23 GMT -5
rug, i live in the heart of chemical valley nothing surprises me anymore ive had over 10 as for moss adjusting the ph throw some in 9+ wait 2 days then tell me the results pine needles work plus you have to account for all factors and organisms trees everything that grow in bogs if you dig down into the moss 1 ft the ph is different and moss is decomposed i doin more studies tommorow sticky plus leave out a bucket instead of the cover it will be the same
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