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Hydroton users: quick tip

N

Neptune

This is for all you ebb&grow, DWC, E&F etc users who use hydroton coco balls. A trick I have learned in conditioning the balls, so as to keep the balls relatively clean, and help stablize your massive PH flux.

Soak balls in large container, with drain valve for easy emptying. Blast the balls with a hose to rinse them, with drain valve open to allow sediment to flow out.

next, fill the container, close valve.
pour in 1-2 cups white vinegar... agitate, let sit.

PH should be about 4.0-5.0 while "conditioning." I have let them sit for a few days to a few weks with no problems.. the PH is much more stable. The vinegar will help fortify the balls and chemically reduce the PH rising effect that we routinely see with hydroton.

less PH down need be added during croptime, and less monitoring and PH chasing...

hope this helps someone.. :joint:
 

HappyHemphog

Active member
fuzygrowth said:
neptune, thanks for the tip bro. I appreciate any tips on how to condition and fortify my balls.

Damn, I am so glad I was not drinking milk when I read that. :D

White Vinegar you say, will have to give this a try.
 

icough2getoff

Active member
I will definitely try that sometime. I've had to fight the hydroton pH roller coaster and it's no fun. Thanks for the tip.
 

Sauce

Active member
I usually just run water through hydroton-filled net pots for several minutes. Interesting method, I will have to try this next time I rinse off my balls. :wink:

Thanks for sharing Neptune :smoker:
 
Ah very cool--it can sometimes be confusing when you get a set of fresh balls. A person can often wonder if they are ready for action or if one should do something to condition them for real usage...Of course, we all know you should condition your balls before you use them...don't go too long between uses.. I think that's the most important lesson.

tip for washing excess hairs (root) off your balls-Use 2-netpots pref 5inch or larger-- fill one of them 2/3rds full, hold the other one on top creating a cylinder that you hold in the middle---shimmy and shake under the faucet for 10-15 secs.
 
G

Guest

I follow that procedure myself except I always used physan 20 instead of vinegar to soak them.
 

mtnjohn

Active member
Veteran
makes sense to me...i use a vinegar soak to help clean my airstones
it's pretty much just an acid wash....but it does work

good tip neptune


mj
 
G

Guest

willbeHigh said:
what is physan 20? where would you get?please tell more about physan 20.Peace


I get it at my local hydro store. It is a disinfectant,sanitizer,algaecide,virucide,fungicide,and deodorizer. I always used it cause it is safer than bleach. I use it to run through my hrdro system and wipe down the grow room, clean my hydroton and tools. It is safe to run while the plants are growing to cure root rot and other diseases. :joint:
 

pico

Active member
Veteran
Interesting. I have not had a problem. In fact using GH nutes I have never even adjusted my pH. I did run a little water through the pots when first filled. Maybe I just got lucky.
 
7

70s_PotHead

I'm chasing a rising PH with GH nutes right now for the 2nd grow in a row :badday: , definitely going to do a better job of hydroton conditioning next run...

70s :joint:
 

TNJed

Member
Thank you very much! Def. gonna try that next time around, as I have that mad ph climb at the beginning of each grow and, to a lesser extent, with each water change. I wasn't even aware that it was my hydroton rocks that was causing the situation...
 

imnotcrazy

There is ALWAYS meaning to my madness ®
Veteran
Good tip bro, usually I didn't have a problem with chasing PH, but I didn't run many light feeding strains and I believe that's when you see this kind of problem. Once you get the nutes to certain levels they stay pretty consistant and a slow upwards swing in PH isn't a bad thing.
 
G

Guest

Well, Im not sure about that. I can say the ph swing is very little though. For example with my ph brought down to a 5.5-5.6 range it will rise to the 6.0 range in 6-8 days. This is with pbp nutes at low levels also. I will know more after I clean the hyrdoton again as it has only been used for 2 grows so far. Ill see how it is on the thrid grow.
 

EL1M1N80R

Member
This is for all you ebb&grow, DWC, E&F etc users who use hydroton coco balls. A trick I have learned in conditioning the balls, so as to keep the balls relatively clean, and help stablize your massive PH flux.

Soak balls in large container, with drain valve for easy emptying. Blast the balls with a hose to rinse them, with drain valve open to allow sediment to flow out.

next, fill the container, close valve.
pour in 1-2 cups white vinegar... agitate, let sit.

PH should be about 4.0-5.0 while "conditioning." I have let them sit for a few days to a few weks with no problems.. the PH is much more stable. The vinegar will help fortify the balls and chemically reduce the PH rising effect that we routinely see with hydroton.

less PH down need be added during croptime, and less monitoring and PH chasing...

hope this helps someone.. :joint:

I need this thread!

On day 2 of vinegar soak.

Have washed the balls numerous times and they are still filthy.

Was getting massive PH flux after 1 flood in and within 3 hours PH went from 5.8 to 7.0.

And the guy who sold the Hydroton tried to blame everything else, then suggested I use a run to waste set up in rockwool and Hydroton. Seriously! I would be a slave to nutrient solution if that was the case. Then tried to sell me a Rizo system.

Not 1 piece of advice on conditioning the pebbles. He even contradicted his colleague, 1st guy said use silicon for better stability then was told silicon raises PH.

Won't be shopping there again. Ever! Told me he has never heard of Hydroton affecting PH.
 

Farm Hero

Member
We've used vinegar in the past but been using pool shock (calcium hypochlorite) for sterilizing and storing the hydroton the past couple years.

Pool Shock is really cheap and since using it we have not had any more pH issues.

A separate soak in a drum with a cup or so of 33% hydrogen peroxide is great for getting salt buildup out of hydroton crevices too.

For very long storage periods you will want to add more pool shock over time as the chlorine does evaporate off eventually.

Just be sure not to confuse calcium particles with nutrient salt buildup if using pool shock.
 

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