alternatives to hydroton for DWC?

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dudeman222

Active Member
Hi guys, I've been having problems for a year, and I've just found the cause.

No matter how long I soak my hydrotron in low-ph water, even once the ph stabilizes after a few days, when I use it in my DWC it still makes the ph go up, and it still badly damages my young plant.

I've tried everything, and it still does this every time. It usually stunts growth from 2 weeks to a month, and eventually when the roots are low enough for the water level to go down, then it's fine. (bad when wet, okay when dry)

I'm afraid of buying another big bag of another brand of hydroton and it will do the same thing.

Does anyone use anything else? Coco pot with coco inside it, that would sit in a plastic net pot?
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
No need for media. Small net pot with a foam collar is all you need. My plants are so easy to pick up and move around or to remove the lids and change the buckets with nothing to spill and step on.
 
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dudeman222

Active Member
my holes are already 6 inches across, you suggest I should use 2 inch pots with my cube directly in the pot?
 
superstoner1

superstoner1

Well-Known Member
I suggested u not use any cube and only use pots and collars. And yes, if u can replace the lids, do it. If not, i have made 6" collars before but cost wise it is better to use 2". The size of the pot really doesnt restrict the plant size unless u are growing monster trees but for anything from 1-8oz plants it works perfect and my cost is 13¢ per plant for pot and collar. Then u toss in the factors of cleaning those damn rocks(spill a few and step on one), the cost, the ph and residue issues and its a no brainer.
 
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dudeman222

Active Member
I grow from seed, never clones. You suggest I just put my seed into the foam collar? I use those root riots and they work real well
 
nameno

nameno

Well-Known Member
Tell me again how to start a seed in a 2"cup.
I can do it if it's as long as the cup.
When's the best time to clone,anyway?Peace
 
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contraptionated

New Member
In my dwc bubble cloners and low pressure aero flowering room I've found that the best alternative to hydroton (for clones) is 3/4" thick foam collar (cut from a piece of 4' x 8' polystyrene foam board) to hold the plant in place in a 1-1/8" hole saw cut hole through either the rubbermaid pail lid (dwc bubble cloner) or the 4" pvc (low pressure aero flowering room) . I just let the roots dangle in thin air. The plants don't grow into the foam collar rather below it. So I guess I found that air is my hydroton replacement.
 
69Bandit

69Bandit

Active Member
you sure its your hydroton that is making PH go up? if your PH goes up and your PPM down your plants are starving for food.
 
Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
@stoner- dude you should just start a separate thread showing your potting method, just about every thread on here we have somebody new asking for an explanation. And with how dead the subforums are anymore, itd probably get stickied ;)

Dudeman- are you PH'ing your cubes before putting seeds/clones in? This will burn em if not, maybe give some more specifics of your setup- temps, nutes, equipment. Im not settled on its the hydroton, im NEVER always right, but skepticism is what gets us to answers
 
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dudeman222

Active Member
Scotch089 said:
Dudeman- are you PH'ing your cubes before putting seeds/clones in? This will burn em if not, maybe give some more specifics of your setup- temps, nutes, equipment. Im not settled on its the hydroton, im NEVER always right, but skepticism is what gets us to answers
Click to expand...
Yes, ph-ing the cubes. always have fresh ph-ed water when I water the cubes as well. Problems always start when I put them in the net pot with the hydroton, and they always stop once the roots are low enough that I can lower water level, and the hydroton stays mostly dry.

Wet hydroton = problems, dry hydroton = all good.

I also tried putting the hydrotron in low ph water, I tried from 2 days to two weeks. Putting more ph down/changing water whenever the ph went up. Every time it stabilizes I think to myself oh boy this time it should be good! But it never is.

I also have a fancy 200$ bluelab ph meter which I calibrate religiously, so it's not that either.
 
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dudeman222

Active Member
when I first put in my cube into the hydroton, no roots are sticking out of the net pot
so I have my water level about one inch below the net pot, enough so the splashing of the airstones can keep the cube from going dry (happened before when water level was too low)

once the roots start coming out the bottom I lower the water level.

Even if the ph of the water in my bin is correct, since the cube is touching hydroton all over, the hydroton will make the ph go up all around the cube, killing leaves, and making them brown
 
Malevolence

Malevolence

New Member
I switched to 2" neoprene pucks and net pots because of SS and others' recommendations. I can't think of one positive thing to say about hydroton... in my experience I have found it does nothing but slow growth and cause pains in my ass. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong, but getting rid of the big baskets of hydroton sped things up.
 
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dudeman222

Active Member
thank you, this is my experience exactly

I'm still going to keep using my root riot cubes, but I'm going to put them with those small sure to grow pellets I think next time

can't get more inert than that I suppose...
 
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