Any ideas on cleaning 200 L of Hydroton?

  • Thread starter jadins_journey
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
jadins_journey

jadins_journey

Supporter
1,281
263
Made the day trip to my closest grow supply store to buy some hydroton and another light. Only had 1 50L bag and I was hoping for 4. Owner had a 4 x 4 flood tray he had just taken the plants out of. He said make me an offer on those dirty rocks...

Any ideas on cleaning 200 l of hydroton


Now, these aren't just dirty. Try a year or more of growth and decomposing organic matter. Not to mention the potential for a wealth of unfriendly's calling those rocks their home. I clean rocks regularly but these need some special treatment

thanks for the ideas
 
freezeland2

freezeland2

3,421
263
I would have passed. You can order online and probably have it before you can get that clean enough to use. And even then I would be nervous to use.
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

2,007
263
U need to burn it with chlorinated tap water.. Multiple times.

Just stick a hose in it and let it overflow for a while. Then all the shit will settle on the bottom of the pan. The micros float out and the macros settle. Once u flush the tray for a while u will need to scoop them out. So much junk will be on the bottom of the tray.

Final soak is hot tap water to kill all microbes.
 
jadins_journey

jadins_journey

Supporter
1,281
263
I would have passed. You can order online and probably have it before you can get that clean enough to use. And even then I would be nervous to use.
that thought crossed my mind.

One of the "rules" I grow by is nothing bigger than a gallon jug in a box gets delivered. I've been looking for hydroton for 6 months with no luck
 
jadins_journey

jadins_journey

Supporter
1,281
263
U need to burn it with chlorinated tap water.. Multiple times.

Just stick a hose in it and let it overflow for a while. Then all the shit will settle on the bottom of the pan. The micros float out and the macros settle. Once u flush the tray for a while u will need to scoop them out. So much junk will be on the bottom of the tray.

Final soak is hot tap water to kill all microbes.
good idea @Cashmeh this maybe isn't what you meant but at 2 hours boiling a 5 gallon bucket worth of rocks they were all sterile after a long day in the shop
 
Burner
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

2,007
263
good idea @Cashmeh this maybe isn't what you meant but at 2 hours boiling a 5 gallon bucket worth of rocks they were all sterile after a long
day in the shop
At least you know there are no microbes in there lol.. Hell yea.

Now the question is how much did you save. And how long did it take you.

Did you save more money than it cost lol.. Are you worth more than what you made.. Ha
 
jadins_journey

jadins_journey

Supporter
1,281
263
At least you know there are no microbes in there lol.. Hell yea.

Now the question is how much did you save. And how long did it take you.

Did you save more money than it cost lol.. Are you worth more than what you made.. Ha
How much did I save? It's more a question of what are those rocks worth to me? At this point in my little perpetual garden those rocks are worth a gold mine. Can't find them anywhere close and shipping isn't an option. Smoked a couple grams and enjoyed a paid day off from work.
 
jadins_journey

jadins_journey

Supporter
1,281
263
here's the process I am going with:

rinsed small scoops at a time



Bucket


boiled for 2 hours
Burner


dried (really important)
Dryer
Dryer2


air both positive (fan) and negative (vac). Removes all the dried organic material
Fan
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

2,007
263
Bro that's fucking genius. Imma have to do the same lol. I got so much thst needs cleaned.. I just wanna throw it away. I'll just use my tub but that buck with holes will help get rid of the sediments.. Perfect.
 
growsince79

growsince79

9,065
313
Made the day trip to my closest grow supply store to buy some hydroton and another light. Only had 1 50L bag and I was hoping for 4. Owner had a 4 x 4 flood tray he had just taken the plants out of. He said make me an offer on those dirty rocks...

View attachment 1202034

Now, these aren't just dirty. Try a year or more of growth and decomposing organic matter. Not to mention the potential for a wealth of unfriendly's calling those rocks their home. I clean rocks regularly but these need some special treatment

thanks for the ideas
You just reminded me why I switched to soil.
 
mojavegreen

mojavegreen

707
243
U need to burn it with chlorinated tap water.. Multiple times.

Just stick a hose in it and let it overflow for a while. Then all the shit will settle on the bottom of the pan. The micros float out and the macros settle. Once u flush the tray for a while u will need to scoop them out. So much junk will be on the bottom of the tray.

Final soak is hot tap water to kill all microbes.
Kitty litter scoops work well for scooping clay balls.
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

2,007
263
Kitty litter scoops work well for scooping clay balls.
Yep, found that out friday when I transplanted, she just bought a brand new one, and now will have to buy another.


You just reminded me why I switched to soil.
So cleaning it is the worst part. I didnt even ask why he even needs that much, but regardless my goal is to lower the amount I need. The only reason I need them is to fill the rest of the netpots up, to support my initial rockwool cube. So in my eyes the smaller the netpot, the more likely it will be to fall through the middle, the small ones wouldnt work due to them bowing the lid. These cheap plastic lids cant handle much, but most 6 inch netpots are close enough to the eduges that the plastic is sturdy enough to hold plenty of weight. So if I used a 2 inch netpot, and like a small handfull of clay pebbles, im afraid it would fall through deep flower or break the plastic, we talking pounds hopefull lol. . .Anyways my end goal would be a custom metal lid with built in 2 inch netpot. This way light wont get through, it will reflect light, and it will hold the weight while allowing little to no hydrogen to be used, I imagine none honestly. . . Just a cover and an air gap most likely.

As for why this man is using so much, dude you need to switch systems lol. . so many ways to avoid work. .work sucks, smoking weed and playing video games is better. yes im a man child, but I can also run 9.8 in the quarter mile on 2 wheels.
 
tobh

tobh

Supporter
4,194
263
I can also run 9.8 in the quarter mile on 2 wheels.
why so slow? 😝 jk, i'll be hitting the strip this next summer. just gotta get my one piece so i don't feel so exposed.

for real though. that's a lot of hydroton. i would've passed. fuck that material. ran it once, never again. it's a bitch to clean new, soaking in enzymes and h2o2 afterwards is ineffective. if you need that much, you might as well be looking at RDWC. 2" net pots with a handful of pebbles and done. hydroton is worse than soil imo.
 
growsince79

growsince79

9,065
313
Made the day trip to my closest grow supply store to buy some hydroton and another light. Only had 1 50L bag and I was hoping for 4. Owner had a 4 x 4 flood tray he had just taken the plants out of. He said make me an offer on those dirty rocks...

View attachment 1202034

Now, these aren't just dirty. Try a year or more of growth and decomposing organic matter. Not to mention the potential for a wealth of unfriendly's calling those rocks their home. I clean rocks regularly but these need some special treatment

thanks for the ideas
1641180982751
 
Cashmeh

Cashmeh

2,007
263
here's the process I am going with:

rinsed small scoops at a time



View attachment 1202327

boiled for 2 hours
View attachment 1202328

dried (really important)
View attachment 1202330View attachment 1202331

air both positive (fan) and negative (vac). Removes all the dried organic materialView attachment 1202332
Speaking of work lol, you could also soak them in the correct phed water at the very end. Let them soak for a few hrs, then mix it and test the water, see if its still the same ph that u set it at. Idk man, like we could do this forever. After you do all this, heres some others things you can do lol. .Like they are correct to a point. I mean if your having fun, and the setup ends up saving you cool, but time per $ saved is always my game. If I can go to work and make 50 per hr or sit at home cleaning bags making 20$ per hr, imma just not do either and buy the new shit lol. . yolo Fuck working harder is what they are saying. This system of yours seems like its going to create work. Perhaps your young enough lol, but ive always enjoyed eliminated steps in the grow process. But then again ,this shit is expensive lol. Idk. . just remember this, there are way easier ways to grow while getting the same growth rates. I dont like perlite. I dont like coco. I dont like soil. I dont like hydroton, hell i bairly like my rockwool lol, anyways i dont like anything that gives me a reason to enter that damn room. Eventually you will have so much other shit going on your plants start lackin, or something else happens and your just like fuck. But yes, Ill still help ya do it lol
 
jadins_journey

jadins_journey

Supporter
1,281
263
Speaking of work lol, you could also soak them in the correct phed water at the very end. Let them soak for a few hrs, then mix it and test the water, see if its still the same ph that u set it at. Idk man, like we could do this forever. After you do all this, heres some others things you can do lol. .Like they are correct to a point. I mean if your having fun, and the setup ends up saving you cool, but time per $ saved is always my game. If I can go to work and make 50 per hr or sit at home cleaning bags making 20$ per hr, imma just not do either and buy the new shit lol. . yolo Fuck working harder is what they are saying. This system of yours seems like its going to create work. Perhaps your young enough lol, but ive always enjoyed eliminated steps in the grow process. But then again ,this shit is expensive lol. Idk. . just remember this, there are way easier ways to grow while getting the same growth rates. I dont like perlite. I dont like coco. I dont like soil. I dont like hydroton, hell i bairly like my rockwool lol, anyways i dont like anything that gives me a reason to enter that damn room. Eventually you will have so much other shit going on your plants start lackin, or something else happens and your just like fuck. But yes, Ill still help ya do it lol

Thanks for the advice @Cashmeh . I'm 60, a grandfather times 3, ruptured disk so I don't move too far from vertical if I can help it and this flower is my meds.

I knew the hydroton haters would raise their heads lol. It's all good. I've been playing with my balls for many years now and it just gets easier every day. this haul brings me to 500 liters in production with 250 liters sitting ready to flip

Hydroton
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom