Reddit mentions of Oakton EcoTestr pH 2 Waterproof pH Tester, 0.0 to 14.0 pH Range

well i just got out in the kitchen and experimented. I took ingredients that i thought sounded good together but i took into consideration the pH of things. Thats where vinegar comes in. in order to be shelf stable it has to have a pH of 3.9 or below (as per FDA regulations).

A very simple hot sauce would be Peaches, yellow ghosts, fataliis, and pineapple with some cider vinegar and agave nectar. or you can go the savory route with fresh smoked ghost peppers, pears, white vinegar, garlic, and a touch of salt.

to find the pH you can either use litmus paper or a good pH pen like this

and check this out: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/29501-making-hot-sauce-101/

Good PSA

Here are some Links

Oakton PH2

Calibration Solution

Storage Solution

Get a good quality tester and keep it cleaned/calibrated and you will have it for a VERY long time :D

PS. I started out with a $20 PH pen and found out after some PH issues started up that it needed to be calibrated pretty much between each use. If I left it alone for a week it would be off by .3-.5 every time...

I would go with a 4'x4' tent at the very least; the one you've linked is too small for a 1000W lamp. I'm doing 4x3x7 right now with 1000W and it's really not easy to keep it cool, I'll often hit 88-90F even with AC in the room. A little bit larger space and it would be much more comfortable.

What are your plans for a growing medium? This might be more important than anything else you're buying! There are also a million options between soil, coco, and the various hydro setups like DWC, ebb and flow, etc. I've had good results with coco coir. You might be best off starting with a decent soil like the Fox Farms lines - pH is much easier to manage in soil.

Speaking of, you also want a good pH meter, and pH up and down. Just get the General Hydroponics pH test kit - it's cheap and you'll have enough to fix pH for your entire grow. For a meter, I recommend this Oakton unit. You'll also want some pH calibration/storage fluid to maintain it properly.

Carbon scrubber

measuring glass/syringe

If you're doing hydro there are other nutrients I might recommend getting.

I know a lot of pH pens have bad reviews, this is probably the best one I've seen for the money, no idea if yours is good:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G8PWAU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Also if you're not necessarily set on LEDs you can get an equivalent/better, MH/HPS light.

If you do go for a better light for the same/less price you could also go with a larger tent. This one isn't very much more but it can support a larger light, and it has some real decent reviews. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9NGP8C/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I experienced a similar situation. I was using the drops-based pH testing system and didn't have to use a whole lot of pH up to get a good color out of the tester. When I switched to a digital pH meter I noticed that much more pH up was needed to attain the proper pH range.

Eventually that pH meter drifted so far down the scale that even calibration wouldn't bring it back. I ended up buying a different digital pH meter that has a digital calibration system and it's perfect. It reads much, much more accurately than the other two systems, especially if I calibrate with three pH points: 4.0, 7.0, and 10.0.

That's quite the range. I'd recommend getting one of these to get a more accurate reading.

I actually have and use almost the exact same one. Looks like it might be the next generation of the same pen.

Anyhow, it's worked good for me for well over a year.

Did you make sure to keep the electrode in electrode storage soultion when not in use? If not the electrode can rust out and fail pretty quickly on any PH meter.

Although I need mine for my own hydroponic botanical needs, I can recommend the meter I use as a low-cost solution if nobody has one for you.

This is the one I use, and it's quite cheap at $15, but will still read just fine. Just get some calibration solution and check it a couple times between uses, until you are satisfied it is keeping calibration, then you can go longer without testing. I kept checking mine and it never lost calibration, so I've been pretty happy with it. It is not waterproof though, and after dropping mine in the reservoir I had to relearn how to read it due to to LCD cells lighting up when they shouldn't (so 5.8 read as 9.8 because the extra line on the 5 lit up.) After recalibrating, it was fine, just wonky to read, testing against drops and ph buffered nutrient solution (always sets itself to 5.8ph) showed it was calibrated fine. So just don't get it wet, and be careful not to break the probe putting the cap back on, as it's made of glass and the cap edge can crush it.

Another better quality one that I hope to get soon is this one, although it is more expensive at $50, it is also waterproof and just all around better quality.

I finally found and purchased these that have a 0-14 pH testing range, on Amazon. I think for increments smaller than 1 your best bet is to get a digital pH meter (something like this), but those can be pricey.

I think you should get one of these http://amzn.com/B004G8PWAU
You'll need 7.0 and 4.01 solution too which would put you over your 50 a bit unfortunately.

Just dont get the cheap milwaukee pens, they are awful

ph drops are pretty cheap for a general idea otherwise

Put it this way... as soon as you need to check your pH to troubleshoot your plants, you'll wish you had one handy. Then, after a couple week of using the cheap pen and calibrating it way too often, you'll wish you bought the Oakton :)

What about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004G8PWAU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1373158088&sr=1-1&pi=SL75

I love this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G8PWAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

http://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-GH1514-Control-Kit/dp/B000BNKWZY

Kit comes with test indicator. Although with a 50gal tank, you might want a bigger quantity than the 8fl.oz bottles there. Getting a digital pH tester will save some time as well.

Oakton 2
I started off with one of the yellow cheap models, dropped it from 2 feet above ground and it immediately died. The Oakton is leaps and bounds more accurate, faster, and waterproof if you accidentally drop it in your res.

EDIT: The cap on the Oakton is perfect for keeping a little storage solution on the tip, which keeps it accurate for longer and will extend the lifetime of the device.

The most important tool i have is:

Oakton ph2 pen with calibration solution(s). Proper ph adjusting base and acid too.

Bonus:
HPS lighting as its usually cheap and very effective. LED is still expensive.

lots of jars to store the massive harvests you will get.

I've used this one that was $50 for over a year and it has been reliable. I got it because it is comparable in quality to the BlueLab ones (which some people like here) without being $80. Their are ones for cheaper like this one, but they should be avoided like the plague because they lose calibration almost immediately. With the one I showed above, I've only had to calibrate it once every 2 grows while the other one would lose its calibration after a few weeks.

If the leaves that are turning brown are touching the soil, I would consider that the reason. If not, possibly a ph issue? I would definitely invest in an accurate meter regardless. I use this and haven't had any issues, but most people will recommend the Oakton

If you continue to plan on doing dwc grows your need a PH meter get this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-Waterproof-Tester-Range/dp/B004G8PWAU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1372348082&sr=8-2&keywords=ph+meter

With a lab-style ph meter, like this one or this one. I use the oakton because it is temperature corrected, whereas other meters require you test a solution at a specific temperature for an accurate reading. You use them to test the runoff water when you water the plants. You measure the PH of the water you put into the pot, and see how much it changes when it comes out, which will give you an idea about the PH level of your soil. For instance, if I measured my water to be 7.0 going in, and found it to be 5.8 coming out, I would know my soil is at least 5.8 on the ph scale or lower. However, I find that just measuring the PH of what I put in, the runoff doesn't matter so much, if the soil is properly prepared. I would go on, but I'll stop myself here for the sake a brevity; there's plenty to learn if you seek the information.

Having said that, I will say there are some soil probe type meters that work well, but you have to calibrate it, and care for and store the electrode properly, which can get difficult because the electrodes are often very long and don't have a cap/case to hold storage solution. Though, it does require you mix water with your soil for the electrode to get a proper reading, so really testing the runoff is the same as (properly) using a soil probe, but the lab meters will be more accurate, easier to use, calibrate, store, and care for properly.


edit: oh yeah, PH indicator drops can also be used, but they are not nearly as accurate or reliable, and can sometimes be difficult to read since your runoff solution will not be perfectly clear.

This is the one I always see suggested

https://smile.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-Waterproof-Tester-Range/dp/B004G8PWAU

There are two pH pens: One for soil, and one for water.

In my experiences and others, soil pH pens aren't the most accurate, so a liquid pH meter has done well measuring the pH of the water that is about to go in, and the pH of the water coming out the drain holes.

So if you were to water in soil with say 6.7 pH water/nutes, and it came out at 6.5, you'd know your soil was around 6.3 pH. This way, you can have one meter that's practical for two functions!

This would be one of the most recommened

the ph pen i use is a bluelab although ive used an oakton both are good. You'll want calibration solution for it as well.

other gadgets? I like to use a paint stirrer on a portable drill to mix ferts. a couple of quality spray bottles and a pump sprayer is nice to have on hand.

Treat for common pests systemically don't wait for that oh shit moment. I treat all my young healthy plants (before they go into bud) with a combination of OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) approved products: Azamax (neem extract for mites),Serenade (powdery mildew and mold) and Monterey Garden Spray (leaf miners and budworms). I use each of these at least once each, often if you wait to treat until you notice problems, it's too late to get optimum results.

Define cheap.

Oakton pH, and highly reviewed

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004G8PWAU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687622&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B007A3PPIW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1JMB9PEC7CV92AK48GYJ

This is the one I bought. I love it, quick and stable readings. I also bought the storage solution but you can store it in tap water (the cap allows you to put some liquid in there)
ninja edit DO NOT let the tip dry out. Keep it wet.

Veg week 2 of clones obtained from my local medical collective. First nutrient feeding at half strength (3tsp/gallon of Fox Farm Big Bloom). LST started on all plants with the GDP starting 2 days later then the others. Did some minimal pruning after the LST settled to get things out of the dirt and clean out some leaves that weren't getting any light. Growth seemed to slow a bit for a few days, might have shocked them a bit from being rough with them, but they are doing great now. Thinking of extending my veg an extra week to compensate, will wait and see if that will even be necessary.

Noticed some small bite marks taken out of a leaf, so I decided not to take any chances and got some AzaMax and gave the girls a good shower at about 0.4% concentration. I will be following that up with a few more applications over the next couple weeks. I'm debating if I want to do a soil drench as well. I also got a gnat sticks that already caught one of the bastards.

Temps with lights on have remained stable around 79F and the RH about 40%. Lights off with fan at 20% temps get to 67F at the lowest and 50% RH at the highest. Also have some new goodies coming from Amazon in the next few days to improve my setup like an Oakton pH2 and rope hangers with metal internal gears instead of those cheapo plastic ones that came with my lights.

 

    Strains

Blue Dream - DJ Short x Santa Cruz Haze. 80% Sativa / 20% Indica. 7-8 week flower cycle

Boy Scout Cookies - Girl Scout Cookies Thin Mint x Pre-98 Bubba Kush. 60% Indica / 40% Sativa. 8 week flower cycle.

Darth Vader Haze - 4-way Black Haze Black Cross. 100% Sativa. 9-10 week flower cycle.

Grand Daddy Purple - Big Bud x Purple Urkle. Indicia Dominant. 8-9 week flower cycle.

 

 

Veg Week 1 Reddit Post - Album

If you have ever used the common march 809 pump most brewers use then you would see how much it sucks. The march 809 is a pain in the ass to use because it must be primed, can easily cavitate, and only works in one direction. A peristaltic pump on the other hand can be run forwards and backwards, is self-priming, and is more easy to sterilize by design. They are used pretty often in labs for all kinds of things especially medical.

Pouring things between flasks is fine for the most part. It was just something to consider.

Buy a nice used on one ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TESTED-Cole-Parmer-L-S-Masterflex-Peristaltic-Pump-7553-00-HELP-ORPHANS-H-/160833661031?pt=BI_Pumps&hash=item25726ee867

Another thing you need:

Aeration equipment

pH meter w/ 4.0 calibration solution

Such as:
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAMS-OXYGEN-AERATION-SYSTEM-P699.aspx

and this:
http://www.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-Waterproof-Tester-Range/dp/B004G8PWAU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1348059104&sr=8-5&keywords=pH+meter

if you want something simple and insanely well priced when compared to other nutrients then check out dyna-gro.

dynagro foliage pro + pro-tekt and you will be years above most other growers. just focus on your environment which IMHO is the most important thing.

what is good about dynagro is it has everything in it as a base nutrient. with most other products (botanicare, GH, and famously Adv Nutrients) the base leaves out C and MG and micro nutrients.

Protekt is a silica additive that makes the plants noticeably stronger and thicker healthier stems.

If you call dynagro's number you can get a starter kit with a PK booster (used around week 4 and 7 of flower).


If you only want to water once every few days I suggest a hempy bucket https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=98419

You can do a coco hempy bucket too and is very popular as well. if you decide to go that route make sure to grab some botanicare Calmag. So your list would be dynagro foliage pro/dynagro protekt/botanicare calmag.

You will 100% need to buy a PH meter and I strongly advise an EC/PPM meter. These are the ones I use

https://smile.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-Waterproof-Tester-Range/dp/B004G8PWAU/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1479005211&sr=8-13&keywords=ph+meter
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FPG89CE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In a hempy bucket and coco always PH to 5.5-6.2

If you were to put the plants in your pic in to a 3 gallon hempy bucket with vermiculite and perlite for the first 2-3 weeks you are going to want to water once every 2/3 days until a little bit of water flows out. Then when they get big once per day.

I would strongly, strongly suggest not using CFL's. It would be a better investment to get a 250-600w HPS. they are really cheap on amazon. If you go with 250w you dont want the plants to get bigger then a foot or so before you flip the schedule to 12 hours on and 12 hours off.

150W - LINK - Grow 1-4 small plants

600W - LINK - Grow 4-6 medium plants


Dont spend so much time on nutrients and what type of grow medium and focus mostly on keeping a good enviornment in terms of temp and humidity and fresh air. You also need to consider when you flower the room needs to be 100% dark. Even a tiny pinhole of light coming in can be very bad

I don't know your level of handiness, but, I can tell you from my own personal experience, these pre made recirculating systems are poorly made and poorly designed. They are essentially 5 gallon buckets with 10" netpots and usually some unknown type/quality plastic tubing. They typically have the tubes too high to properly drain the system for a reservoir change, and, being low quality plastic, are prone to cracking. Also, most of them, at least the ones I have had to replace for friends that foolishly buy these things, don't have adequate drainage solutions, and you have to end up rigging your own drain pump anyway.

For around $150 --PVC, solvent, 5 gallon buckets, a large rubbermade tote for reservoir -- you could make a far superior custom system. Then you just need a $35 aquarium pump, a $25 air pump, and some $5 airstones. Think of all that extra money for lighting and a tent! Hell, you'll have enough to buy CO2 and a RO system (which is highly recommended).

Something else that is mandatory for hydroponics, one of these. I am fairly certain these kits don't come with a quality pH tester.

I have this one and this I have been happy with both also I hear the strips are the way to go if you want the cheapest most reliable

is this the one you recommend?

http://www.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-Waterproof-Tester-Range/dp/B004G8PWAU

OK, so you can add any sugary juice that isn't super acidic. If you do want to use a very acidic juice (like lemon or orange) you will need to do something to take it down a notch.

During fermentation, the pH you should shoot for is 3.7 to 4.0, otherwise you risk the yeast activity ending up reduced.

You can either get a pH test kit, but make sure it checks for pH in this range, most pool ones do a different range. Soil or hydro kits should probably be ok.

I bought THIS one and am very happy with it. It was a little more money, but it's not by any stretch expensive.

I guess thats not the path I wanna go than. I was thinking of picking up this meter but I am hesitant.

problem with cheap pens is they are not accurate. http://www.amazon.com/Oakton-EcoTestr-Waterproof-Tester-Range/dp/B004G8PWAU this is a great price and a excellent pen. just buy some calibration fluid for it. ph. 7.0 and if you want ph 4.0 you wont regret it this makes ph'ing a breeze!

I use an Oakton. They're like, mid-grade quality.