hydro grow medium question

can regular rocks, like similar to gravel(or even gravel itself) be used as a medium in a dwc setup.

Also should should the roots be completely submerged in water in the setup?

hydroton works the best, after you rinse them clean of course.

i wouldn't suggest rocks from out side or anything that could add mineral and impurities into you water

both hydroton and rockwool cubes are designed to "give" with the root as it grows, many other gravels would be to heavy I think as well as very dirty.

in ebb and flow they will get submerged but then it drains down to a certain level about 5 in.
usually water only comes about 2 in up the bottom of your pots, or you root will only dangle into the water like a bubbler, or your roots are never submerged but misted in an aero garden.

many options for growing plants, read the grow faq "intensly and search all the groww journals before cunstruction" you will learn the best way for you and your space without making costly mistakes.

my 2 cents

if ur lookin for somethin cheap and easy to find, go to home depot and get some lava rocks, wash them really good with some h2o2 befor u use em, but that should work fine

My first hydro setup I used pea gravel that I got for free at a quarry. It worked fine, but hydroton, or grow rocks, is better suited for hydro.

HTH

The issues with gravel or lava rock is gravel doesnt hold any moisture like hydroton clay pebbles do and lava rocks are sharp and can dmage roots when moved at all they cut.Hydroton is cheap and best

Oh and about the roots.They hang above the water so you might need to just wet the net baskets with the rockwool cubes for first couple days til roots hang down and get the bubbles or aero mist wetting them

Lava rocks are okay too if you aren't planning on moving the plants at all, because they are heavy and tend to slice the roots.