# Something besides hydroton?



## stemjosh (Aug 21, 2011)

Alright so heres my question.   A couple weeks ago i had to go the the airports to drop off my significant other.  Its about 2 hours from home   But they have the first hydro shop Ive ever seen when i went i picked up loads of stuff knowing i cant get it back home i got a 50 L bag of hydrtoton and now i have a dilemma I didnt get enough. I was just wonderin if there was anything else i could use in place of it that would work equally as well in and ebb and flow set up


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## zem (Aug 21, 2011)

i've heard of peolple using river rock but you would need to flood much more often and it will be more risky if a pump fails there's no water retention in them so you would need to keep a close eye on pump operation.


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## stemjosh (Aug 21, 2011)

Ya i thought about pea gravel or something i also seen brick chunks  which kinda have the texture of hydroton but i don't know


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## zem (Aug 21, 2011)

you want something that doesnt leach residues, im not sure about brick... thinking of it, many regular garden supply stores and dispensaries would sell growrocks. look around your area, i got mine from such a place not hydro shop


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## stemjosh (Aug 21, 2011)

one of the downsides to living in rural bum F is no specialty shops we got a wal mart and bout six dollar stores  ya sucks  i hate to have to pay shipping on hydroton i seen on some websites i can only get like 10 L for what i paid for 50 L


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## The Hemp Goddess (Aug 21, 2011)

LOL--if you have a Wal-Mart and 6 dollar stores, you are not in BFE.  I have 1 small grocery store, 1 hardware store, 1 lumber store, and 3 bars.  I order EVERYTHING for my grows online, including hydrotron.  Keep looking, you should be able to find a better buy.  I actually can get things online including shipping for what I can get things at the hydro shop that is 65 miles away (many smaller hydro shops have high prices).   

The only thing I would use in place of hydrotron would be lava rock.  IMO, things like pea gravel simply will not hold enough water for hydro.


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## stemjosh (Aug 21, 2011)

Hmmm would the kind made for your grill be the same as some made as actual potting mix?  Cause i see online i can get a decent bag for like 4 bucks at my local wal mart.


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## hollywood52 (Aug 21, 2011)

at the grow shop by me they sell wat looks to be small pieces of sea glass looking stuff but it was expensive, so i stuck w hydroton,but craft store


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## YYZ Skinhead (Aug 21, 2011)

Avoid gardening-store (decorative?) lava rock.  I tried some of it and it completely threw off the pH in my aero unit. :rant:


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## Hushpuppy (Aug 21, 2011)

I use a combination of coco over hydroton in my 2liter planters. You can buy it in compressed blocks that triple in size when hydrated. They are inexpensive and I love the way it works to hold water and nutrients. However, I don't know how well it would work in ebb n flow.


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## YYZ Skinhead (Sep 18, 2011)

discount-hydro.com/products/C.A.P.-Grow-Blocks.html

Basically rockwool cubes/blocks made with coir.  pH neutral AFAIK.


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## zardoz (Jan 13, 2012)

I'm with hushpuppy on this one! I'm on my fourth grow in coco and have never found a better medium IMHO. I've grown many many DWC gardens in hydroton and have made the switch to coco in a run to waste system. If coco can work in an ebb and flow system.. I would certainly explore this avenue.

  zardoz



			
				Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> I use a combination of coco over hydroton in my 2liter planters. You can buy it in compressed blocks that triple in size when hydrated. They are inexpensive and I love the way it works to hold water and nutrients. However, I don't know how well it would work in ebb n flow.


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## Hushpuppy (Jan 16, 2012)

I have found a way to use coco in a hydro system so that you don't constantly get loose coco in the rez and clogging the pumps. Any of the garden stores sell the large coco baskets that are made with thick coco weave. I took a couple of these baskets that were about 3/4" thick and cut them up to fit in my planters. Then I put my ground coco over that and the roots are able to grow through it while the loose coco stays held in place. The coco is very absorbant so I would think that it would work in ebb n flo.


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## nouvellechef (Feb 9, 2012)

Bio balls


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## Hushpuppy (Feb 9, 2012)

I have a couple of those!   I don't think I wanna use them in DWC, although they do hang around for flood and drain well enough :hubba:


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