Replacing hydroton with water beads.

Skunkle Justin

Active Member
I’ve seen this done with all kinds of other plants. The beads will eventually get kinda slimy, but maybe the regular water changes will prevent that. I was gonna do this a few months ago but didn’t want to risk the clone and chickened out
 

Keyown1

Super Active Member
I’ve seen this done with all kinds of other plants. The beads will eventually get kinda slimy, but maybe the regular water changes will prevent that. I was gonna do this a few months ago but didn’t want to risk the clone and chickened out
you think so? even for a roughly 3 month grow cycle.
 

inthetrees

Active Member
Cheaper alternative to hydroton? I'm confused lol. How much are you paying per bag dude?

I pay $30 CAD per big bag and then wash and reuse. Bought x2 bags and I have x40 6" netpots full in circulation between my flower and veg room. Still have a pile left over.
 

Keyown1

Super Active Member
Cheaper alternative to hydroton? I'm confused lol. How much are you paying per bag dude?

I pay $30 CAD per big bag and then wash and reuse. Bought x2 bags and I have x40 6" netpots full in circulation between my flower and veg room. Still have a pile left over.
roughly $40 a bag shipped. Lets just say everyone's grow size is different. You wash several hundred pounds of hydroton by yourself every cycle and you'll be looking for cheap disposable alternatives too. But, as always I appreciate your input and happy growing.
 
I think the time it’d take to cut up the pool noodles into crouton size etc for containers would have me going back to the hydroton.
 

Keyown1

Super Active Member
I like the idea of the beads, if they work. $80 fills all my pots, and I can just throw them out afterwards. The turnaround time saved alone makes it worth it. If they work.
 

inthetrees

Active Member
roughly $40 a bag shipped. Lets just say everyone's grow size is different. You wash several hundred pounds of hydroton by yourself every cycle and you'll be looking for cheap disposable alternatives too. But, as always I appreciate your input and happy growing.
No i get it dude... I spent a fair amount of time running a x36 light setup with next to no help from my "partner". After spending the first few rounds packing in pallet after pallet of soil just to dispose of it and repeat the process, we switched over. Washing hydroton was a cake walk compared to the previous workload. Enzymes ftw.

Interested to see how this pans out for you and hopefully it's the solution you're looking for.

Best of luck.
 

Here4theparty

New Member
Ive done this successfully. It's based on science of energizing water. A fascinating rabbit hole. Also, mix with platonic solids to further enhance. I ran the nutes in an outboard rez through a container holding the stones and solids, then used the enhanced nutes to flood and drain back into the rez
 

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No i get it dude... I spent a fair amount of time running a x36 light setup with next to no help from my "partner". After spending the first few rounds packing in pallet after pallet of soil just to dispose of it and repeat the process, we switched over. Washing hydroton was a cake walk compared to the previous workload. Enzymes ftw.

Interested to see how this pans out for you and hopefully it's the solution you're looking for.

Best of luck.
I'm interested in what kind of enzymes you use and what your process is? I usually boil the shit out of them with a little vinegar, then pop them in the oven at 425° for 45 minutes to dry out and kill whatever remains. Granted my setup isn't huge, I'm always looking for ways of doing this faster and easier.
 
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