Water pH is a mathematical term to denote degrees of

acidity or alkalinity and is expressed by a series of positive

numbers between 0 and 14 with 7 being neutral. Zero being
very acidic and 14 highly alkaline. Water pH can be
measured by a hand held pH meter operated by a small
battery.
The pH of the water has a significant impact on the
availability of certain elements in the water. Water pH
should be between 5.8 and 6.8. Values higher or lower than
5.8 and 6.8 results in either precipitation or renders some
elements unavailable to the plants for uptake.
If the pH of the water is above 6.8, nitric acid, phosphoric
acid or sulpheric acid can be used to decrease the pH to the
desired level. pH lower than 5.8 must be increased to the
desired level with potassium hydroxide (KOH), sodium
hydroxide (NaOH) or magnesium hydroxide (MgOH2).
Adjusting ph of the water supply is crucial for maximum
nutrient availability. It is seldom that the water supply, even
from a well, is perfectly suitable (pH 5.8-6.8). The pH always
needs some adjustment, either up or down.

How to decrease the pH of

a nutrient solution
Lowering the pH is the most common adjustment to nutrient
solutions. That is because most waters are alkaline, with a
pH of at least 7.2 or above. The pH of the nutrient solution
should not be allowed to rise above 6.8 or decrease below
5.8. If the solution pH needs to be adjusted manually, it
should be measured at least twice a day, especially some
hours after a new nutrient solution has been added to the
nutrient tanks. There are five acids that can be used to
adjust the pH down:
 nitric acid
 phosphoric acid
 sulphuric acid
 citric acid and
 acetic acid.
Acids are substances which, when added to the nutrient
solution will ionize and provide hydrogen ions. Nitric acid
produces H+ and NO3- ions. Acids are classified into strong
and weak acids. The degree of ionization will determine how
strong the acid is. Hydrochloric acid undergoes 100%
ionization so it is called a strong acid. Acetic acid only
undergoes 4% ionization so it is called a weak acid (and
hardly used commercially in hydroponic systems).
The most common acids used to lower the pH in hydroponic
nutrient solutions are phosphoric acid and nitric acid. It is
important to have a water analysis available in order to
determine which acid would be suitable for the water being
used. Nitric acid is preferred when using water with high
calcium concentrations since relatively more phosphoric
acid will be required in order to adjust the pH. If very little
calcium is in the water very little acid will be required to
decrease the pH of the water. The following reactions take
place when there is calcium in the water:
Ca(HCO3)2 + 2HNO3 = Ca(NO3)2 + CO2 + 2H2O
Ca(HCO3)2 + 2H3PO4 = Ca(H2PO4)2 + 2CO2 + 2H2O
The Important difference between using nitric acid and
phosphoric acid in waters that contain calcium is that nitric
acid produces calcium nitrate (CaNO3), carbon dioxide
(CO2) and water (H2O). In the case of phosphoric acid
calcium phosphate (Ca(H2PO4)2) is produced which as no
nutritional value to the plant since it is insoluble in water.
The nutritional loss is the phosphorus that is not available to
the plant which could be used. The amount of phosphoric
acid used and the precipitate that forms should not be of
any concern. It is not enough to cause any damage to
pumps or filters.
Acetic acid is that safest acid to use to decrease pH.
However it is not as strong as the other, so much more
volume would be required to reduce the pH of the water by
the same amount as the other acids.
When mixing concentrated solutions of acid to water it
is important to remember the following. Always add
the acid to large amounts of water. Never add the
acid first into a container and then add water. In the
later case the solution temperature can increase so
fast that it can explode cause serious damage.

How to Increase the pH of

a nutrient solution
When the water supply has a pH below 5.8 a base should
be added to the water. The most common base available is
potassium hydroxide (KOH). Other chemicals can also be
used such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and bicarbonate of
soda or baking soda (NaHCO3). Baking soda is the safest to
use. Both KOH and NaOH can burn skin if not washed of
immediately. Potassium hydroxide is available in pellets
which make handling the product very safe and easy. In
order to make a 10% solution of KOH, take 100g of KOH
pellets and add to 900ml of water. The solution can be
added to the nutrient tank until the pH of the water, without
any nutrients added, is between 5.8 and 6.8.