Anyone using MaxiGro/MaxiBloom & dealing with pH issue?

My water is 8.0pH, mixed in my MaxiGro nutrients, pH dropped to 4.3, waited few hours and still 4.3. Used a bunch of pH UP buffer to get 5.8-6.0 range, but 3 days later the pH spiked to 7.2

After a lot of fiddling and trying different things it turns out MaxiGro takes a lonnnng ass time stabilize pH. Mixed in my MaxiGro, again pH drops to 4.3, but this time I just left it sitting idle. Day1 4.3, day2 4.3, day3 boom 5.6ph, day4 still 5.6pH, day5 still 5.6pH

So if it takes 3 days for pH to stabilize then all that pH UP buffer I used the first time overshot the pH.

Anyone else notice this if you are using MaxiGro/MaxiBloom nutrients from GH?
 

eyderbuddy

Well-Known Member
I've used them a lot, and i think its your water...

I get 7.0 water with less than 150ppm, i know for sure i can use a teaspoon of Maxi per gallon and the PH will be perfect every time...

Something you could try is buffering the water BEFORE adding the maxi, PH UP after nutrients tends to introduce crazy changes
 

IrkinBollikans

Well-Known Member
I was having a similar issue recently using MB where my pH would swing up in a matter of hours. Took me about 2 weeks to check for reservoir stability. I quit using it and have been issue free since the switch. I think they changed from the original formula. I saw my plants start to get unhappy within the first week of using my new package. I started a thread about it but it didn't get much traction. As unfortunate as it is for you to be dealing with this, I feel a little relieved that others are starting to see this and I'm not crazy. Sucks because I really enjoyed the simplicity of MB. Gonna switch to Jack's before the next run
 

dandyrandy

Well-Known Member
I use promix. I mixed maxi in gallon jugs to water. I would pH to 6.4ish. It would drift up to 6.8ish in a couple days. I'd check and adjust before use. Maybe not relevant for you. Maxi worked well.
 

IrkinBollikans

Well-Known Member
My water comes out at 7.2/130 ppm. I've never had to use pH up at any point. I only use MB so maybe the pH up is a MG thing
 

Attikus112

Well-Known Member
My water comes out of the tap around pH 8 and less than 50ppm. 7g/gal maxibloom dropped my pH into the low 4s. It's the only fertilizer I've run into that problem with so I stopped using it as well. Plants also seemed to struggle with it. It just doesn't seem compatible with my water source. Based on all the KISS threads I've read i was really hoping MB would work out as a one part nutrient for me.
 

IrkinBollikans

Well-Known Member
Even when I ran full strength, my ph hardly dipped below 6.5. I think it's what makes up your ppm number moreso than the actual number. Just a rough example; you may have 100 ppm of Mg in your water whereas I could have 100 ppm of calcium and that helps to keep my pH more stable. I could be wrong and I'm sure someone will be by shortly to correct me if I am. But back to the OP, I noticed a difference in the formula in the last couple months and had to change because I wasn't having the results I was having with my first pouches of MB. Since the change, my girls have bounced right back. Hope this helps somebody
 

Attikus112

Well-Known Member
Even when I ran full strength, my ph hardly dipped below 6.5. I think it's what makes up your ppm number moreso than the actual number. Just a rough example; you may have 100 ppm of Mg in your water whereas I could have 100 ppm of calcium and that helps to keep my pH more stable. I could be wrong and I'm sure someone will be by shortly to correct me if I am. But back to the OP, I noticed a difference in the formula in the last couple months and had to change because I wasn't having the results I was having with my first pouches of MB. Since the change, my girls have bounced right back. Hope this helps somebody
I tend to agree with your thoughts about the ppm composition. What makes up you water ppm can have an effect on the water buffering capacity. My water is fairly pure and does not seem to buffer well.
 

calicko

Well-Known Member
I'm currently using Maxigrow for a Jack Herer Auto airstone dwc and am noticing ph swing. Like today, after 5 days after adding .5ml to 5 gal. bucket I got spot on 5.8 and it stayed that way until it spiked to 6.75! Despite all of this and topping off with .25 gal. and 5 points of hydroguard and 7 RO water, plant is praying and healthier than I've ever seen!
I come from using soil ferts so this hydro stuff is quite fascinating and 180° different than soil methods! Anyways, I'm in week 6 and have not had any real issues and have to comend GH for this fertilizer because of it's super concentration and that ability to stay stable at plant usable levels and slowly drift so the plant can utilize the other macronutrients (Calcium & manganese/not magnesium) left behind because of lockout @6.5 before h2o change.
Maxibloom is in my shopping cart as I'm full into pre-flower and don't know if Alaska's Morbloom is hydro safe(#1 'go to' for PK fertilizer for soil).
 

Rebel71

Well-Known Member
My water is 8.0pH, mixed in my MaxiGro nutrients, pH dropped to 4.3, waited few hours and still 4.3. Used a bunch of pH UP buffer to get 5.8-6.0 range, but 3 days later the pH spiked to 7.2

After a lot of fiddling and trying different things it turns out MaxiGro takes a lonnnng ass time stabilize pH. Mixed in my MaxiGro, again pH drops to 4.3, but this time I just left it sitting idle. Day1 4.3, day2 4.3, day3 boom 5.6ph, day4 still 5.6pH, day5 still 5.6pH

So if it takes 3 days for pH to stabilize then all that pH UP buffer I used the first time overshot the pH.

Anyone else notice this if you are using MaxiGro/MaxiBloom nutrients from GH?
Yeah! I’m not liking the bubbler buckets, to much up and down, with the ph, stress on the plants, leaves change coloring. loosing clones already with the Flora series was a gut shot!
 
Yeah! I’m not liking the bubbler buckets, to much up and down, with the ph, stress on the plants, leaves change coloring. loosing clones already with the Flora series was a gut shot!
After my last bit of MaxiGro mix was used up I switched to MasterBlend tomato and mixed my own two part system. Works so much better.
 

rkymtnman

Well-Known Member
Yeah! I’m not liking the bubbler buckets, to much up and down, with the ph, stress on the plants, leaves change coloring. loosing clones already with the Flora series was a gut shot!
increase your water volume my changing to rdwc and you'll have less pH swings.
 

KhanTheOG

Active Member
My water comes out of the tap around pH 8 and less than 50ppm. 7g/gal maxibloom dropped my pH into the low 4s. It's the only fertilizer I've run into that problem with so I stopped using it as well. Plants also seemed to struggle with it. It just doesn't seem compatible with my water source. Based on all the KISS threads I've read i was really hoping MB would work out as a one part nutrient for me.
7 grams, is that like 1 full teaspoon?
 
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