Ph help

[Dharrison]

Hi I have been having problems with my water I have well water and its very hard idk exactly what the rating is but its very hard idk what the ppms are but here lies my problem when I ph my water from the tap it is between 7.5 and 8 then when i ph it to let's say 6.5 after about an hour its back to 8.0 so I ph my water to 6.5 water my plants and in a blink the ph is at 8.0 have any of you had this problem I guess what im askin is what is going on and how to stop it how to get my water to stay at 6.5 I think after I ph the frist time and wait I ph it again I think it stays (testing theory right now)

[semicaregiver]

Sounds like your well water has some elements that are acting as a buffering agent.   This is a problem with Detroit (Great Lakes Water Authority) water.  They add a buffering agent to prevent the water going acidic.  Low ph will leach lead into the drinking water.   While the source of your problem is some natural occurring element, the solution may be the same.   I use a 55 gallon drum as a water storage reservoir and adjust the ph over a period of time.  For example when I first fill it the ph is right around 7.  Just like your experience I can ph it down to 5.8 (hydro usage).   In a few hours it will shoot back up to around 6.6-6.8 due to the buffering chemicals that Detroit added.  A second ph treatment will return the ph to my target, 5.8 and it will hold.  I do not use all the water at once so I keep it aerated with a couple of air stones.

My approach is not terribly sophisticated, just a solution that I found works for me from trial and error.  Perhaps someone with more chemistry knowledge will have a simpler solution.

[Dharrison]

Thank you I thought I read something somewhere about buffering agents in water but I could never find it again so I was wondering if I was wrong and didnt see it just thought I did lol but thanks for the confirm I will start doing the same with the air stone and drum

[semicaregiver]

You can find used food grade 50-60 gallon drums on craigslist for $20.  Add a bulkhead fitting and valve at the bottom for another $10.

[Dharrison]

Thank you right now I only have two plant going so I got alil 5 gallon bucket but hopefully after this week I get a few upgrades get another light going and few more plants too so thank you again for the tip

[Wild Bill]

Are your plants healthy? If they're growing OK you may not need to chase the perfect ph around.

Don't worry too much unless you see signs of a problem.