Hydroton vs. Glass Marbles

[Hash Zeppelin]

I had an idea recently that I thought was pretty good, so I cant be the first person to have ever thought of this.

Basically I think using black glass marbles instead of hydroton, but before I go and try it I would like to throw the idea out there for feed back. Here is my reasoning.

1. No dust. leads to cleaner roots less washing time.
2. reusable, wash in a bucket of soap and hydrogen peroxide
3. hydroton factory in Germany closed.
4. not porous so it does not soak up anything at all.
5.stronger doesnt brake apart so easy.
6. bulk marbles are pretty cheap. $48.00, 2750 marbles.
http://marblesandgemsofcolor.com/pro1404119.html

 

[Hammerhead]

From what I remember of marbles there heavy and smooth. How well would the roots hold onto the marbles?



Im going to try these since Hydroton is not being made anymore

Sunleaves Rocks are a reusable growing medium with serious H20-holding power for use in any kind of garden. They're made by super heating shale to temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, rendering them pH-neutral and chemically inert. Make your life a little easier while you take care of your plants and the planet: grow with the rock that doesn't roll! Mined and manufactured in the United States.

 

[Behind_The_Mask]

no water retention could be an issue for some systems when plants are young

although it would be tits to never deal with hydroton dust again

 

[Andyo]

I thought this years ago 20 yrs

I thought this years ago 20 yrs

Ive used hydroton ebb/flow trays and ebb flow buckets 20 yrs plus itll work as long as your ph control in the rez is good as theyll have no buffer effect
Most people over water any way .
I think u should try a couple of pots bro is gotta be worth a try.

might need to stake the plant in case it pulls roots out when bigger
A slightly longer flood maybe for more water uptake too.A

 

[Guest304546]

From what I remember of marbles there heavy and smooth. How well would the roots hold onto the marbles?



Im going to try these since Hydroton is not being made anymore

Sunleaves Rocks are a reusable growing medium with serious H20-holding power for use in any kind of garden. They're made by super heating shale to temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, rendering them pH-neutral and chemically inert. Make your life a little easier while you take care of your plants and the planet: grow with the rock that doesn't roll! Mined and manufactured in the United States.

those rocks add trace amounts of silica as well i believe, ...i went to get me a bag of hydroton last week only to find there was no more and these rocks were the only available alternative.

i'd actually been thinking of making the switch because of the silica thing anyway and it turns out the rocks are less expensive by almost half what a similar volume of hydroton would have cost me with a bag the same size as a large bag of hydroton being $20.00.

a couple things worth noting are that the rocks are heavy, MUCH heavier than hydroton, ...they're also dirty so you need to rinse them before you use them for the first time but they don't look like they'll be dusty afterwards.

...they look great for water retention and for root grippage too so unless Sunleaves is completely full of shit i think i'll be very happy with my new grow rocks.

i guess you could say i finally have the stones for it, lol.

AD

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I used those rocks and they retain way to much water for my taste and are way too dirty.

This stuff here is the same as hydroton and available in the states. I have done side by side grows and noticed no difference. only less round and darker in color.
http://www.hydrobarn.com/prod1579.html

 

[robotwithdreams]

Not to highjack the thread but have a couple somewhat relevant questions.

Anyone out there try mixing rice hulls with coco? They provide more aeration in the mix than hydroton. Considerably lighter? Cheaper? Saw a gardening site selling fifty# bags for about 10$.

So what u guys think? anyone with experiance?

Also i was visiting a friend in the midwest and he says that his local hydro shop offers a coco and rice hull mix, but are charging up the wazooo for it.

 

[robotwithdreams]

i think the mix offered at his shop is 2/3 coco, 1/3 rice hulls.

 

[PoopyTeaBags]

switch to coco learn the curve give up on hydroton -=P lol


the key to hydroton was the pourous clay.... best alternative is prob lava rock or 100% perlite... coco rocks but theres a learning curve....

 

[Andyo]

lol

lol

switch to coco learn the curve give up on hydroton -=P lol


the key to hydroton was the pourous clay.... best alternative is prob lava rock or 100% perlite... coco rocks but theres a learning curve....

Lol i got non porous hydroton in thailand ,well wasnt expected but potency and yeilds where there and less ph swing

The key is re usability of the substrate ,though might fall over on marbles.A

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

From what I remember of marbles there heavy and smooth. How well would the roots hold onto the marbles?



Im going to try these since Hydroton is not being made anymore

Sunleaves Rocks are a reusable growing medium with serious H20-holding power for use in any kind of garden. They're made by super heating shale to temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, rendering them pH-neutral and chemically inert. Make your life a little easier while you take care of your plants and the planet: grow with the rock that doesn't roll! Mined and manufactured in the United States.

Well I grow classic dwc, so I dont have to worry about them drying up. I just have my plant sitting in hydroton with my roots constantly submerged in super oxygenated bubbling water. two of the big boss hog micro bubble air stones in each bucket. I top feed everyday. they drink about a gallon to two gallons a day.

As for the roots gripping the marbles, I am not sure. I would think They just wrap themselves around them like they do with the air stone and they would weigh them selves down that way. I stake up my plants anyways.

maybe if the marbles are to slippery i could just line a bucket with sand paper and mix around all the marbles to scratch them up.

People grow aeroponics systems with no medium, i imagine this would be similar. I already have a massive amount of air in my water

 

[Guest304546]

switch to coco learn the curve give up on hydroton -=P lol


the key to hydroton was the pourous clay.... best alternative is prob lava rock or 100% perlite... coco rocks but theres a learning curve....

yeah man, what he said, ...coco is just SO much easier than DWC and with similar results.

i personally grow straight coco hempys and i started out using the perlite in the res but it was too light and it wasn't resusable, plus, it mixed itself into the used coco.

my plan was to switch to hydroton in the res instead but now it looks like i'm being forced to move to the rocks instead, hopefully all will go well.

AD

btw, i grew DWC for about a year before abandoning the technique as too much hassle, i liked the growth but hated all the clean-up and maintenance it required, ...in coco hempys i get nearly the same growth rates and NONE of the hassles.

 

[Bi0hazard]

Hey HashZepplin,

The hydroton balls can be a pain in the ass. If the container they are in has water rise up in it - they all float to the top and relocate basically serving horrible as a base support for plants. (reminds me of Kix cereal)

One of the key benefits of hydroton is that it does absorb or rather transfer water from one to another. If your water levels are lower than they should be, as long as it hits the hydroton on the bottom of the netting the water should travel upwards through the other hydroton which aren't touching the water directly - which is helpful in early veg stages.

I ended up switching over to the SunLeaves Rocks. They serve the same purpose as the hydroton in every-way but they don't float and relocate - they always stay exactly where I left them - which serves great when having it hold rockwell/rapid rooters in plastic netting's so that the plant above is stable and straight up.

You do have to wash them off, but it's pretty easy. A makeshift way that works really quickly is to get a plastic bag from like CVS poke 10 small holes in the bottom and fill it with sunleaves rocks or hydroton. Then put it under hot water coming out of the tub and you will see all the dirt/dust come out within 30 seconds, it's runs it all off very effectively. And of course - It's always a good idea to PH any medium overnight before using it =)

SunLeaves Rocks @ http://www.wormsway.com/detail.aspx?t=prod&sku=SR314

 

[SeaMaiden]

Not to highjack the thread but have a couple somewhat relevant questions.

Anyone out there try mixing rice hulls with coco? They provide more aeration in the mix than hydroton. Considerably lighter? Cheaper? Saw a gardening site selling fifty# bags for about 10$.

So what u guys think? anyone with experiance?

Also i was visiting a friend in the midwest and he says that his local hydro shop offers a coco and rice hull mix, but are charging up the wazooo for it.

Yep! Two years ago, and I'll never use perlite again (except for all my leftover perlite, still using that stuff up when/where I can). LOVE IT!

I get my rice hulls at the feed store. 6'cu bales @$8 apiece.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

yeah man, what he said, ...coco is just SO much easier than DWC and with similar results.

i personally grow straight coco hempys and i started out using the perlite in the res but it was too light and it wasn't resusable, plus, it mixed itself into the used coco.

my plan was to switch to hydroton in the res instead but now it looks like i'm being forced to move to the rocks instead, hopefully all will go well.

AD

btw, i grew DWC for about a year before abandoning the technique as too much hassle, i liked the growth but hated all the clean-up and maintenance it required, ...in coco hempys i get nearly the same growth rates and NONE of the hassles.

I have never grown coco and have like 3 months of hydro nutes, but I have really been wanting to try aptus nutes in a coco grow. I have seen so many nice results.

Please give me a quick run down on how to properly use coco and a good brand to buy, and I will try a few because you are right dwc can be a big pain in the ass, and waste of water.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Hey HashZepplin,

The hydroton balls can be a pain in the ass. If the container they are in has water rise up in it - they all float to the top and relocate basically serving horrible as a base support for plants. (reminds me of Kix cereal)

One of the key benefits of hydroton is that it does absorb or rather transfer water from one to another. If your water levels are lower than they should be, as long as it hits the hydroton on the bottom of the netting the water should travel upwards through the other hydroton which aren't touching the water directly - which is helpful in early veg stages.

I ended up switching over to the SunLeaves Rocks. They serve the same purpose as the hydroton in every-way but they don't float and relocate - they always stay exactly where I left them - which serves great when having it hold rockwell/rapid rooters in plastic netting's so that the plant above is stable and straight up.

You do have to wash them off, but it's pretty easy. A makeshift way that works really quickly is to get a plastic bag from like CVS poke 10 small holes in the bottom and fill it with sunleaves rocks or hydroton. Then put it under hot water coming out of the tub and you will see all the dirt/dust come out within 30 seconds, it's runs it all off very effectively. And of course - It's always a good idea to PH any medium overnight before using it =)

SunLeaves Rocks @ http://www.wormsway.com/detail.aspx?t=prod&sku=SR314

I dont need the hydroton to absorb because I keep the net pot half way submerged in water, and have bubbles floating up through it. In my diouble bucket sytem it is impossible to over water and make the rocks float, the water will spill out of the bottom bucket before it gets to full.

I rinse my hydroton for an hour before I use it. dust and red dirt still accumulates over time.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

switch to coco learn the curve give up on hydroton -=P lol


the key to hydroton was the pourous clay.... best alternative is prob lava rock or 100% perlite... coco rocks but theres a learning curve....

i am gonna give it a go in a side by side run. I think I can actually veg faster in coco because it drys up which in return makes roots stretch out.

how in the hell do you reuse coco though? how do you get all those roots out?

 

[Guest304546]

I have never grown coco and have like 3 months of hydro nutes, but I have really been wanting to try aptus nutes in a coco grow. I have seen so many nice results.

Please give me a quick run down on how to properly use coco and a good brand to buy, and I will try a few because you are right dwc can be a big pain in the ass, and waste of water.

first thing is i'm no expert, i've only been doing the coco hempy thing for about a year and that was interupted by a move so i've only pulled about 4 harvests, i'm 6 weeks in today on my first harvey in the new digs, ...so my experience is far from definitive.

that being said i wouldn't hesitate in recommending coco hempy's for ANYONE, those who are new to growing will love the hydro growth rates and how forgiving they are to grow in while those with more experience will love the hydro growth rates and the simplicity, AND how forgiving they are, lol, especially after a prolonged power outage.

and as far as coco brands go i know many swear by Canna coco but i personally just get whatever 5kg bales the local growshop has in stock, usually Botanicare or GH, ...one is called CocoGro and one is called CocoTek.

for further info on coco and how to work with it i'd suggest you look in the coco forum or ask gaiusmarius, he knows WAY more about coco than me, lol, ...and the hempy thread, especially the coco hempy thread by.

...and don't take me the wrong way man because i don't want to steer you wrong and i am still learning myself.

AD

btw, coco IS hydro so those hydro nutes you speak of would work just fine in a side by side, that way you'd be able to judge for yourself if the growth rates in a hempy were really similar to DWC, ...do a little research first but then the next time you pot up clones for your next DWC run, pot up a couple in 3 gallon coco hempy buckets, then you'll know for real.

 

[Maj.Cottonmouth]

Another non expert here but I have to agree that coco is awesome. I ran RDWC for a couple years and recently switched to coco. I have completed one run and I have two more going now. Try a couple coco hempys or hand watered smart pots to ease into it and if you like it and you decide to run everything on it I suggest checking into blumats. There is a huge thread about them here.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111046

As far as recycling coco I do not do it personally but from what I have read people use enzymes to eat the roots. Search the Growing in coco coir forum for recycle or reuse, I know there are a few threads on it.

 

[Hammerhead]

HZ what type of setup are you using RDWC?