Ebb/Flow Medium

Status
Not open for further replies.

MasterS

Well-Known Member
Hello all I'm looking for a new medium for my ebb/flow. I want to move away from hydroton and rockwool cubes/floc.

What medium do people recommend and why?

I'm hoping to find something cheaper and lighter. Buying a 50L bag of hydroton every 2 weeks isn't fun haha. I used to clean/sanitize but is not longer worth the time and buying and disposing of so much is a hassle.
 

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
Hey master! I dont know what you can use if you aren't using pots, maybe grow rocks? those lava rock looking things You can use coco chips or croutons if you are using pots.
 

Phillip J Fry

Active Member
use no medium and build structure to hold plants up. Other than that not sure your going to avoid cleaning/disposing of the medium.
 

MasterS

Well-Known Member
Phillip, first of all it is *you're. Second of all, I never said anything about avoiding cleaning/disposing of a medium. I only mentioned that because of the obnoxious cost and weight of hydroton for my use.


Thanks BeaverHuntr, I've been looking into Coco and SureToGrow a bit and still trying to root through all the options. I was just hoping there was a medium that fit my needs, hydroton isn't good enough any more.
 

MasterS

Well-Known Member
Not interested in discussing English lessons nor reading comprehension. Your little faux pas is a peeve of mine. If you're not posting to help, you are a troll and kindly GTFO :)
 

MasterS

Well-Known Member
Oh BeaverHuntr, someone suggested "STG" (Sure to Grow) looks fun but I'm not sure why it's so expensive. Other site posters are more helpful than this but I stayed for the good people that happen by.
 

panhead

Well-Known Member
I got sick of everything about hydroton,you name it & i hate it,even lookin at it makes me remember all the work i did when i ran all 8 of our tables full of it.

I spent 2 years playin round with alot of different mediums,i did coco & hated it more than hydroton,soakin them bricks sucked.I used perlite,no good,rockwool,also no good,i tried alot of stuff when i had an idea.

Sponges,i start out using a root riot sponge plug for the clone,once its heavily rooted i take a net pot & put a layer of sponge in the bottom of the pot & set the clone plug directly on top the sponge,then i tear up chunks of sponge & wedge the chunks in between the clone & net pot to lock it in place.

This part i no longer do but i'll post it anyway.

After the clone is secure i then took a material like hydroton called hydrorock & put a layer on top of the sponge chunks to make sure none floated out while i waited for root mass to lock them in.

I found out that i didnt really need the rock for ballast as long as i wedged the chunks of sponge in real tight & secure so i no longer use any type of medium except the sponge & it works fuckin awesome,all my flood & drain tables have been converted to using sponge mediums now & im smitten with it.

I spoke with a friend of mine who owns a hydro shop & he found some type sponges made for commercial use,they come in slabs & are designed for commercial lettuce hydroponic grows,these sponges dont require a net pot, the plant floats around with the sponge serving as the medium & platform.

The lettuce sponges have'nt came in yet as they are on back order,when i get them i will post a thread showing how they work.
 

MasterS

Well-Known Member
That sounds great panhead! Have you looked into SureToGrow? Seems lie the same concept. Now I feel more keen to try it
 

shmoked

Member
I've heard nothing but bad about STG. I tried searching for a mj grow that actually finished using it, but was unable to find one. Seems problems start in a couple weeks with the staying oversaturated leading to root problems and ultimately the insert collapses in on itself.
I too am sick of hydroton. I didn't have a problem with rockwool, and I'm in buckets, so I'm going back to rockwool.
 

MasterS

Well-Known Member
Hm that's strange that they would advertise that it doesn't saturate like rockwook "so more feedings". Damn it's really hard to do enough research when my only internet time is a tablet at starbucks.
 

Phillip J Fry

Active Member
I was trying to help. I suggested using no medium. Your the one who was trying to pick on me. Seems lie you enjoy being a jerk or something. Haha you see what i did there?
 

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
I was trying to help. I suggested using no medium. Your the one who was trying to pick on me. Seems lie you enjoy being a jerk or something. Haha you see what i did there?
Dude you always come off wrong I have seen quite a few posts of yours and people responded the same way Master did and you know I'm not lying. Just saying dude.
 

hellraizer30

Rebel From The North
Hey master stay away from stg its a nightmare to deal with! Looks simple but it aint.
As for a new medium ive been trying to get fytrocell its the medium AL B uses.
But for whats easyest in the US I think coco is another good alternative.
 

MasterS

Well-Known Member
Yeah I asked my local shops about fytocell and theyu had no idea what I was talkiong about. Apparently their vendor doesn't offer it either. Looks like I'm stuck with my medium. After all this time I was hoping something would be better. I use normal gravel in my aquaponics but not as nice in a perpetual grow. Thanks for the warning.

Sorry for the typing, phone forum browsing isn't fun.
 

Dennis Rodman

Active Member
Hello all I'm looking for a new medium for my ebb/flow. I want to move away from hydroton and rockwool cubes/floc.

What medium do people recommend and why?

I'm hoping to find something cheaper and lighter. Buying a 50L bag of hydroton every 2 weeks isn't fun haha. I used to clean/sanitize but is not longer worth the time and buying and disposing of so much is a hassle.


Phillip, first of all it is *you're. Second of all, I never said anything about avoiding cleaning/disposing of a medium. I only mentioned that because of the obnoxious cost and weight of hydroton for my use.


Thanks BeaverHuntr, I've been looking into Coco and SureToGrow a bit and still trying to root through all the options. I was just hoping there was a medium that fit my needs, hydroton isn't good enough any more.
Clearly you mentioned both cleaning AND disposing of a medium.
And to reiterate, dont move towards STG.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top