What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Holy Hydro shop batman!

I went to my first hydroponics shop today and scored a 50L bag of Hydroton clay ball media for $32. The place is only about 5 miles away from my job in a closed down bank building. I'm going to use it to line the bottoms of all my new vivariums about 2" deep and also try some semi-hydro style orchids on my patio, supposedly this is the killer new way to do orchids so I'll try it. Basically you grow orchids in a clear plastic container full of Hydroton and make the drainage holes 1" up on the sides instead of the bottom. The water in the bottom 1" reservoir wicks up through the Hydroton and keep the orchids roots "perfectly moist".

I've never been to a hydroponics shop before cos they're usually a long way away from my area and I didn't want to get suspected for being a dope grower by shopping there. But the desire for the Hydroton was too much. It was actually a pretty neat shop. A LOT of people shopping there, was like going to any other plant shop on a Saturday afternoon not full of people in big trench coats, dark glasses and fakey looking wigs like I imagined it would be. There was all kinds of great plant stuff you can't get at the "run of the mill nurseries". I'll be shopping there a lot but always using cash at such a place would be a wise idea I should think. Though I did learn that apparently if you put the word "stealth" on any product you can charge $100 more for it. LOL
 
Make sure to soak the hydroton thoroughly or hold it down with something. Some of mine was still floating after more than a week in a deep tub of water. It does work wonders, though.
~Joe
 
Thanks Joe, on the way home I was wondering if I should rinse it before using but I hadn't even thought of soaking it. I've got a huge rubbermaid tub I could use. I suppose I should get on that tonight if you left it a week and it still floated!

Is the Hydroton made of laterite clay?

Can it be pulverized and still used effectively (say for fine rooted plants) or does it have to be left as whole balls.
 
I haven't tried yet, but I was thinking of smashing some as a substitute for APS. It does need to be rinsed - very dusty/muddy in wet applications. I suspect that when crushed it will produce a lot more dust. It seems to abrade itself rather easily, as I can rinse a batch clean, then shake it around in the sifter, and it will be all dusty again just from the agitation. Seemed easier to me to get it clean after it was thoroughly wetted. I've heard some people say to use some rubbing alcohol to accelerate the process, but I'm not sure what the reasoning behind that is.
~Joe

PS - No clue what kind of clay it is, but laterite... doesn't sound wrong, at least.
 
Thanks, I'll soak it then rinse. I don't think I'll try the rubbing alcohol thing though, at least not for now.
I'll have to test fill a tank and see how much I need to soak, I don't wanna soak up the whole huge bag and have it go foul by staying dark and wet til I get round to using it all.
 
Oh it's easy to dry back out. It wicks water like nobody's business so as long as it isn't covered it'll dehydrate with a little time and air circulation. Filling the tank dry isn't a bad idea, but I suggest using about 20% more than you want because some will just refuse to sink.
~Joe
 
Hydroponics stores have been selling things like hydroton, 4 cuft bags of Perlite, coir and a host of other things for a long long time! Glad to see someone discovering them as a source, as the products they sell (well, some of them) have great CP uses and can't be readily found elsewhere.
Glad to see you will be helping to keep an industry alive, that has more than "assumed" uses.

Congrats!

PS: We all know why you were really in there! :blush: Key word: stealth! :-D
 
I usually boil mine before using it, I can't say it helps with the floating but I do everything I can to keep new species of moss from getting a foothold. I have about 2-3" of the stuff in most of the larger tanks. I would suggest getting some of the lighting egg crate and cutting it to fit over the hydroton to give you an even floor. Its white but I would not go with it.

Don't forget to add some to the Nep. mix, good airflow, wicking, and light weight.
 
Will Hydroton grow moss? I was curious about top dressing the orchid pots with LFS but didn't know if it would wick enough water for moss growth. I wonder if Neps could grow as "semi-hydro" in plain Hydroton and water like the orchids?

What does the egg crate do overtop of the hydroton other than an even floor? I hunted down the Hydroton so I could avoid using the eggcrate and PVC risers! LOL

I planned to go from the bottom up: Hydroton, fine mesh black nylon screen, soil mix, top dressing of live moss.

Growing Old:

I love all the stuff they have in there, my wheels got turning every aisle I walked down. When I go to build a large custom enclosure I will be going back there to get some large square ebb and flow tubs to use as waterproof bottoms that an enclosure could be built up around. They come in perfectly square shapes and even measurements like 22" x 44" x 8" and made very sturdy UV proof plastic.

In Cali where it's nearly legal, the hydro shops must be just crazy with the plant growing gadgets. 1/2 of this place is also dedicated to homebrew and wine making. And I think making white lightening too cos they had the giant distillery coils for sale. I thought bootlegging hard stuff was as illegal as growing the other... :D
 
  • #10
Will Hydroton grow moss? I was curious about top dressing the orchid pots with LFS but didn't know if it would wick enough water for moss growth. I wonder if Neps could grow as "semi-hydro" in plain Hydroton and water like the orchids?

What does the egg crate do overtop of the hydroton other than an even floor? I hunted down the Hydroton so I could avoid using the eggcrate and PVC risers! LOL

I planned to go from the bottom up: Hydroton, fine mesh black nylon screen, soil mix, top dressing of live moss.

Hydroton will still grow moss giving the right conditions, it is slower than say peat/sand but it still will.

I have heard some species of Nep's will grow in semi-hydro and alot of people root cutting in just water so semi-hydro would be an upgrade from that.

If your doing the "natural" layout then there would be no use for the eggcrate, the ones I have it in have pots and the level floor is great. The "natural" ones do not have the eggcrate since I have no pots in them.
 
  • #11
If your doing the "natural" layout then there would be no use for the eggcrate, the ones I have it in have pots and the level floor is great. The "natural" ones do not have the eggcrate since I have no pots in them.

Ah cool! Yeah for any GH style tanks I always use the crate and risers I hate tippy pots, I like to be able to evenly water them.
 
Back
Top