DWC Hydro Question

[Tybo]

I have a question for any hydro guru's out there.  
I googled and got a bunch of weed forums and answers were all over the place.
 
I started a seedling (Baquinho) in rock wool and it came up so I wanted to see how Kratky would work out.  It did great but the roots soon reached the bottom of a quart mason jar so I swapped to a 3.5 gallon bucket with net cup and an air pump.  DWC right?
 
The plant is now 3" tall and has 5 true sets of leaves and looks great I think.  It is a darker green than I have seen in soil.  Maybe too dark?
 
Anyway the question is about rising ph.  My water is well water that is acidic.  It is checking 5.7 this time of year.  
I add 3 gallons of water to the bucket along with 3/4 tsp of DynaGro Foliage Pro.  That is 1/4 strength recommended.  EC is .6 which is 300 ppm on the 500 scale.  
After adding the DynaGro the ph goes to 5.9, not lower as I expected it would.  About 2 hrs later I recheck EC and PH.  EC is still .6 but ph now reads 7.0!!!!  I double checked my cheap ph pen with a liquid aquarium test solution and going by the color chart it appears to be 7.0.
Why the rise in ph?  I thought the nutes were supposed to lower the ph.  
 
I could exchange some of the nute water with my well water to raise the ph but that would lower the EC. 
Any ideas?
Oh, by the way, my well water is also hard and reads lower that 200ppm by my Blue Lab Truncheon.  (200ppm is as low as it reads)
One other thing:  I don't have any ph UP on hand.  I placed an order from Amazon but it will be Tuesday before it's here.  Should I add my acidic well water to drop the 7.0 and just have low EC until the ph down comes in?

 

[solid7]

Of course the pH is going to rise, as the DynaGro is calcium based.  Also, you are mentioning pH UP, but if you want to make more acidic, you pH DOWN.
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In lieu of that product, you can use lemon juice.  It's highly effective.

 

[solid7]

Well water very seldom drops EC.  In fact, I don't like using well water in hydro, short of having a full water quality report. (and even then, it's usually a no...)
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When you are measuring quantities in ppm, it's necessary to know exactly what contributes to your overall EC and TDS, for maximum success.
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How are you keeping your reservoir temps down?  This can also cause pH spikes...

 

[Tybo]

Of course the pH is going to rise, as the DynaGro is calcium based.  Also, you are mentioning pH UP, but if you want to make more acidic, you pH DOWN.
.
In lieu of that product, you can use lemon juice.  It's highly effective.

Of course, everyone knows that.  Nothing I've read so far (except for your comment) says Dyna-Gro will raise ph.  I must have missed it.  Also, all I find is the  nutrient percentage analysis and not whether the nitrogen is  ammonium or calcium Nitrate.
The ph Up reference was my bust.  I do have that on hand so I must have been thinking that.  My mistake.  I did order ph DOWN.
I have read about using lemon juice and citric acid but that organic products increases chances of pythium.
 
 

Well water very seldom drops EC.  In fact, I don't like using well water in hydro, short of having a full water quality report. (and even then, it's usually a no...)
.
When you are measuring quantities in ppm, it's necessary to know exactly what contributes to your overall EC and TDS, for maximum success.
.
How are you keeping your reservoir temps down?  This can also cause pH spikes...

 
I wasn't saying well water drops EC.  What I was getting at is if I remove x amount of nutrient water and add back x amount of water to keep my original 3 gallon total, whether well, RO, distilled etc, with no additives it will dilute the original EC right?  
I used well water because it's what I had.  I don't have an RO filter.
My 3.5 gallon "reservoir" is at the mercy of my HVAC setting.  The res is in the kitchen where I can easily keep a check on it.  I don't have a chiller.
I simply stuck a seed in a rock wool cube, it sprouted and I decided to give Kratky and subsequently DWC a try.  I have a lot to learn.  It's gonna be a long winter so I figure I got a little time on my hands to do that.  And if I decide to ask a question here, I can always look forward to your answers.  Better than the weed sites!   

 

[solid7]

Of course, everyone knows that.  Nothing I've read so far (except for your comment) says Dyna-Gro will raise ph. I have read about using lemon juice and citric acid but that organic products increases chances of pythium.

Take a base pH reading on undiluted, pure nutrient. So, DynaGro is supposed to be pH buffered, to keep it from swinging. However, I have noticed that it has a limited shelf life, and tends to fall out of suspension. After which, it concentrates in a hard cake at the bottom of the container. And, at that point, the pH trends upwards.

I don't have an issue with using lemon juice in a reservoir that small. It's really quite acidic, and a little goes a very long way. I understand the concern with organics in hydro, but I think the risk is really very small, in this case. (I've done it many times)


 

I wasn't saying well water drops EC.  What I was getting at is if I remove x amount of nutrient water and add back x amount of water to keep my original 3 gallon total, whether well, RO, distilled etc, with no additives it will dilute the original EC right?

Your well water is going to have an EC.  Anything that comes from the ground has a defined TDS count.  It's just a matter of knowing how much it will (hopefully) dilute your res, and if you're putting in what you really want to have in there.  Water quality reports are very important.
 
To be honest, if you're not going to control all parameters, you'd probably be better sticking with Kratky.  For whatever reason - which I don't quite understand - the second you add a bubbler, you now have a DWC, instead of Kratky, and Kratky doesn't seem to give a shit about temp, where DWC, it becomes critical.  If you don't have RO and a chiller, I'd go with the simpler method.