awkinpup
New Member
Is it possible to use muratic acid to lower my ph in my water?
Muratic acid for lower PH?
- Thread starter awkinpup
- Start date
Bill C
New Member
Muriatic acid is chemically known as hydrochloric acid. I'd be concerned with adding chloride.
Personally, I use sulphuric acid (h2so4), aka good old fashioned battery acid. It can be purchased at any auto parts store, but you have to ask for it as they usually keep it behind the counter. It's cheap as one store sells it for $4/qt, & another sells it for $12/6qt. It also adds sulphur, which is good for resistance to mold and disease. I've been using it for a number of grows and have no problems. It is strong, so go slow when adding it and be careful handling it.
I've used apple cider vinegar in a pinch, but it's not as effective for me.
Good luck!
Personally, I use sulphuric acid (h2so4), aka good old fashioned battery acid. It can be purchased at any auto parts store, but you have to ask for it as they usually keep it behind the counter. It's cheap as one store sells it for $4/qt, & another sells it for $12/6qt. It also adds sulphur, which is good for resistance to mold and disease. I've been using it for a number of grows and have no problems. It is strong, so go slow when adding it and be careful handling it.
I've used apple cider vinegar in a pinch, but it's not as effective for me.
Good luck!
- Thread starter
- #3
awkinpup
New Member
Bill, thanks...I haven't used Muratic on my grow but was going to try it but I did add it to the water barrel I use to water with and it did hold the ph down, do you think that the sulphuric acid would do the same?
Bill C
New Member
Sulphuric acid is what I use to bring my pH down. Any acid will work to bring the pH down, but you have to be careful not to add something the girls won't like (i.e. chloride).
Most of the commercial pH Down additives are phosphoric acid. I got the idea for battery acid at an aquarium store. I saw a small bottle of pH Down for a fish tank and the active ingredient was sulphuric acid. I figured if it was safe for fish, then it'd be safe for plants. I've had several grows with it and have had no problems.
Most of the commercial pH Down additives are phosphoric acid. I got the idea for battery acid at an aquarium store. I saw a small bottle of pH Down for a fish tank and the active ingredient was sulphuric acid. I figured if it was safe for fish, then it'd be safe for plants. I've had several grows with it and have had no problems.
- Thread starter
- #5
awkinpup
New Member
Bill Picked up some sulphuric Acid today added it to the barrel very slowly wow one teaspoon to twenty gals works great! Thanks...
any acid is comprised of two components; 'anions' and 'cations'- which is a fancy way of saying 'positive ions' and 'negative ions'
HCL ---> H+ is the cation and CL- the anion
H2SO4----> H+ is the cation and SO4 is the anion (SO4 is called a complex anion, its made of sulfur and oxygen, but they BEHAVE as ONE ANION in this example)
H2PO4----> same thing except the anion is phosphate; (oxygen and phosphorus behaving as one anion)
notice that they all have in common the H+ which is a hydrogen which is lacking an electron, this is why its '+', because an electron is '-'
if you took algebra, remember, a '-' '-' is a '+' so stripping an electron from a hydrogen (subtracting a 'minus') leaves it positively charged.
This is called (H+) a PROTON and it is what affects your ph, the commonality of all protons in acids is why all acids will work to reduce ph, but as noted by Bill above you must be careful not to give plants anions that they do not like, chloride anions in very small amounts are okay but you would probably be in trouble using HCL consistently, it is the equivalent to salting the earth.
Since sulfur is required, its (sulfuric) a good choice....as is phosphorus acid.
Vinegar is acetic acid which is CH3COOH the proton is, of course, 'H+' and the anion is CH3COO- aka acetate ion, many bacterium in soil are acetic bacteria, vinegar isnt as concentrated and so doesnt last long.
When the soil is made right the bacteria keeps it in the acid range and the dolomite/ag lime keeps it near 7
HCL ---> H+ is the cation and CL- the anion
H2SO4----> H+ is the cation and SO4 is the anion (SO4 is called a complex anion, its made of sulfur and oxygen, but they BEHAVE as ONE ANION in this example)
H2PO4----> same thing except the anion is phosphate; (oxygen and phosphorus behaving as one anion)
notice that they all have in common the H+ which is a hydrogen which is lacking an electron, this is why its '+', because an electron is '-'
if you took algebra, remember, a '-' '-' is a '+' so stripping an electron from a hydrogen (subtracting a 'minus') leaves it positively charged.
This is called (H+) a PROTON and it is what affects your ph, the commonality of all protons in acids is why all acids will work to reduce ph, but as noted by Bill above you must be careful not to give plants anions that they do not like, chloride anions in very small amounts are okay but you would probably be in trouble using HCL consistently, it is the equivalent to salting the earth.
Since sulfur is required, its (sulfuric) a good choice....as is phosphorus acid.
Vinegar is acetic acid which is CH3COOH the proton is, of course, 'H+' and the anion is CH3COO- aka acetate ion, many bacterium in soil are acetic bacteria, vinegar isnt as concentrated and so doesnt last long.
When the soil is made right the bacteria keeps it in the acid range and the dolomite/ag lime keeps it near 7
Bill C
New Member
awkinpup - I forgot to mention earlier that I love your tagline!
oops I made a small mistake, upon re-reading I noticed I referred to phosphoric acid as 'H2PO4' but it is actually 'H3PO4'
that means that when the acid breaks up into ions (in other words, in water) that each molecule of phosphoric acid gives 3 protons (H+) not two (which is implied with the incorrect formula H2PO4)
that means that when the acid breaks up into ions (in other words, in water) that each molecule of phosphoric acid gives 3 protons (H+) not two (which is implied with the incorrect formula H2PO4)
