alternatives to hydroton for DWC?

PetFlora · Jun 9, 2013

I too had my issues with Hydroton. I now use a combination of lava rock + ornamental stones as a cap. I found watering from the top down to increase seeds or clones making it. I have 2 threads you might want to look at. Here's a couple pics

The root pic id from my DWC bubbler. Here I am trimming the roots to force more roots to exit the 6" netpot. I started trimming late, which is why you see so much root well below the net bottom. There are 2 plants in this tent, both look great, but I gently trim. The idea is to keep more root above the water line. Each bucket has 2 air stones, pump is 45 lpm, so tons of rich bubbles saturating the air space. It's similar to how high pressure aero works
View attachment 2692780 View attachment 2692781

BlackTuna · Jun 9, 2013

rockwool in hydro=BAD

I hate rockwool.

Never have had a Hydrotron issue, seed to harvest. This batch I used RapidRooter's in 2" netpots for cloning. Then the 2" netpot gets placed in a
5" netpot and the hydrotron gets poured in. Werks for me.

I hate rockwool :evil:

evil nasty shite.

dudeman222 · Jun 9, 2013

this thread is about hydroton, not sure who still uses rockwool

BlackTuna · Jun 9, 2013

dudeman222 said:
this thread is about hydroton, not sure who still uses rockwool

Fer gawds sake, get out much?

Many on this site do use rockwool. Been to a Hydro Store lately? They still stock the shit and people still use it.

Damn

dudeman222 · Jun 9, 2013

BlackTuna said:
Fer gawds sake, get out much?

Many on this site do use rockwool. Been to a Hydro Store lately? They still stock the shit and people still use it.

Damn

So start your own thread about rockwool? Read the title of this one, it says hydroton.

BlackTuna · Jun 9, 2013

dudeman222 said:
So start your own thread about rockwool? Read the title of this one, it says hydroton.

[h=1]alternatives to hydroton for DWC?[/h]
It's my experience and my stinking opinion that there is no alternative for HYDROTRON.

So theres yer answer.

Kinda thick up in BC, eh?

superstoner1 · Jun 9, 2013

Dont sweat it dude.. the rotten fish likes to appear and make statements like that to rile people up. Check his history. Anybody that tells others to run 6.1-6.5 ph in dwc is not here to help.

dudeman222 · Jun 9, 2013

Good lord 6.5? If I get to 6.1 I start to get nervous!

superstoner1 · Jun 10, 2013

I get over 6.2 and it shows in the plants within 2-3 days.

BlackTuna · Jun 10, 2013

650 ppm
6.5 ph
65f Res Temp

I'm days away from harvest on the right screen.

Yeah, guess I really fucked these up, eh?

Sucks to be me. Right?

dudeman222 · Jun 10, 2013

You're not using all that space very well

BlackTuna · Jun 10, 2013

Yeah I fucked that up too, eh?

It's a bitch deciding which strain to go with when I have so many to choose from. So I pop a few seeds from my seed bank and grow strains that ain't common. When I find a nice girl I clone her and put her into flower. If she does well I make a Mother from the clone. Then I cut more clones. By the time I harvest the original, I'll have 60 to 75 clones for planting or gifting.

Naw, I'm not wasting space, I'm experimenting!
Uruzgan Kush! Ever tried it? Laotian Thai, southern and northern strain? Those I'm growing now. When I decide which strain is best suited to my wants and needs
I'll fill that flower room 4 plants per light scrogged.

And beside all that,

It's nice to have the space to work in,

Just too damn bad I have no clue as to what I'm doing, eh?

dudeman222 · Jun 10, 2013

Have you calibrated your ph tester? :mrgreen:

BlackTuna · Jun 11, 2013

dudeman222 said:
Have you calibrated your ph tester?

Oh yeah, every day. Never gets left in the res and gets cleaned and calibrated after each and every use.

Wouldn't want to cross contaminate any res's.

Shoot I'm gonna use it again,,,,.Here ya go!

dudeman222 · Jun 11, 2013

sigh your insecurity ruined my thread

poor thread

bass1014 · Jun 11, 2013

have you tried just hydration pellets and no rockwool cubes? i do know that a rockwool cube is a 7 always.. so that might be bringing your ph up.. i grow in just the pellets and i have no issue on my ph going haywire,, just a thought..

dudeman222 said:
this thread is about hydroton, not sure who still uses rockwool

applepoop1984 · Jun 11, 2013

bass1014 said:
have you tried just hydration pellets and no rockwool cubes? i do know that a rockwool cube is a 7 always.. so that might be bringing your ph up.. i grow in just the pellets and i have no issue on my ph going haywire,, just a thought..

this is incorrect. rockwool ph varies because of the lime used to make it after rinsing the ph will be stable. never use only hydroton you want to rinse the rockwool to remove the lime and let soak in a solution of 5.5 ph'd water.

1itsme · Jun 11, 2013

theres all sorts of things you can use if you don't like hydroton- lava rock, gravel, glass beads, coco chips, rubber mulch... poly used straw successfuly... fwiw i use rockwool, cant stand rr. one of the nice things about rw is you can tell if its too wet just by looking at it.

dudeman222 · Jun 11, 2013

I use root riot cubes.

...glass beads... MARBLES?? CAN I USE MARBLES??

omg

1itsme · Jun 11, 2013

you can if you want idk what the advantage would be other than that their clean tho. the thing i dont like about hydroton is that it's too round. everything shifts too easily and is easy to crush roots thus providing an opening for pyth to get in. lava rock and fairly large gravel are common alternatives. coc chips as well hth

alternatives to hydroton for DWC?

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