Clay balls vs Pea Gravel For Active Recovery??

[an_arrowfromthesun]

First hydroponic setup, though i've had many failed soil grow attempts thought I would have the time to invest in a hydroponic recovery system at the moment, and a 400w hps, in which i've been fanging around looking for which isn't a problem but i was curious to comments on using pea gravel and if anybody has even found this and to have any relationship differences to clay balls would be greatly appreciated.

[Tom]

I haven't grown in either but clay balls are porus and retain some moisture between watering times, whereas pea gravel dries out very quickly, it is also much heavier to handle.

 

[an_arrowfromthesun]

Ta Tom the natural porous/pore like structure in the clay cells would have a deal to do with relationship differences between clay balls and pea gravel.. and ta for the scientific lightbulb. ...

[jailbreakin]

suggestion if you want your plants to have a good start dont use pea gravel for the plain fact weight,

 

pea gravel is about 10 times heavier than clay rocks and if u are mixing your medium e.g...coco fiber you may choke your plants root growth.

 

In other words your plants larger roots slowly move these rocks to accommadate themselves and any extra energy your plants have to use e.g.....moveing ten times the extra weight in rock is more energey taken away from atcually growing plant thus = less stoned 4 u

 

ps: :thumbsup clay rock is cheep

[F420]

I would also say stick with clay balls. Mainly because you just dont know what the pea gravel has in it or will leech out of it in to your nutes.

 

I pay about $25-00 a sack of clayballs. I replace them every grow.

[quizywig]

there 2 entirely different products, I like using clay balls for grow, clean simple no fuss no bugs good airiation, all you need to do is give them a good wash b4 you use them

[jackfrost]

Hey bro,

 

I was using clay balls up till about 2 years ago, when i shifted to large lava rock peices, this product is the best by far to grow in.

 

clay balls still get really tight compact airless roots i found when growing in buckets where the lava rocks alow heps more air into the zone.

 

Jack

[Luke Skywalker]

Light Expanded Clay Aggregate (LECA) kicks arse.

 

Lava is a good way to go if you can find it, although all media have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

The more recent releases of things like Hygromite, made of chunks of diomataceous earth could be a good consideration as well, these have readily available silica and are considered to be better than the LECA. Mind you, I've never tried this stuff.

 

I'd say you may find that perlite would be a little more forgiving as a media, pretty darn simple to use and very effective at aeration and still allows a good wicking of solution through the media.

[an_arrowfromthesun]

mmk thanks for all the mad replies: so the setup didn't go quite as suspected; another nute lockup (with massive ph fluctuation)(looking into which again): though clay balls were the go, with a recirculating systm and 400hps. A tip i learnt from this mess of clayball science media is though, to wash and flush your system extremely well like 10x wouldn't be pushing it, before trans-planting. :hang: Edited August 8, 2005 by an_arrowfromthesun