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HydroBalls� Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

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#21 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

troy255 said:
I saw both of those products at petco. The hydro balls were $7.99 and I believe the cocosoft was $9.99.
Click to expand...
I scored the last two 2 bags of hydroballs from my local Petco today for $2.50 each. Local for me is Mount Pleasant, SC ...so your local store may still have some in stock.
 
#22 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

I am building my first terrarium, and wondering if making an egg crate and screen below expanded clay would be over-kill. I have a kind of terraced layout, and I know I will need to use a false bottom to avoid using too much substrate, but for the bottom, would it be all right? I plan on running a heat cable through the substrate as well. Any hints?
 
#23 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

It's not necessary to use a false bottom and hydroton.
That's sort of redundant. I don't have experience with hydroton, but I like the false bottom method I employed.

I don;t think it is a good idea to run a "heat cable" through the substrate at all. Why do you feel this is needed?

Cheers,
C
 
#24 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

rollei said:
Sorry to hijack this thread, but does anyone know where I can get LECA balls? There aren't any hydroponics stores around where I live.
Click to expand...
Several sponsors sell them(Hydroton), one cheeper than I've found on Amazon and ships free with $50 purchase. I don't think I can name them without violating the TOS, but PM me and I'll tell you who I got it from. I bought 2 big bags at Xmas with a coupon as well. That much has lasted through 6 verts and should be enough to do the 3 Zoo Meds I am planing out.

I did use the hydroballs, got them with a discount at Petsmart. Its basically the same thing as LECA, but smaller and more expensive. I was building 2 small Zoo Meds at the time and needed something right then or I would have just waited and got LECA for the price.

My first viv back in the early 90s, was avtually made with the styro packing peanuts. Plants were left in pots and then sphagnum laid over the top, and then moss. I didn't know about leaf litter back then and used pillow moss chunks. Honestly, I've never had moss grow that well since then. I literally had to peel it off the walls about every 2 weeks. I know now it is not the prefered way to go but I'd love to get that look again. The frogs did fine with it BTW.
 
#25 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

tmos540 said:
I am building my first terrarium, and wondering if making an egg crate and screen below expanded clay would be over-kill. I have a kind of terraced layout, and I know I will need to use a false bottom to avoid using too much substrate, but for the bottom, would it be all right? I plan on running a heat cable through the substrate as well. Any hints?
Click to expand...
Thats exactly how I do all my vivs, 1/2 pvc supporting eggcrate, about 1inch of LECA, then ABG substrate. I've found that this keeps my substrate from getting soggy. As previously mentioned, not nessesary, but it is working well for me.
 
#29 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

If weight is a serious issue, a false bottom is the answer. Why even bother trying to find other products when that solution works perfectly well?


Personally I have never used these, but I've been using Hydroton for various gardening needs for a long while now. I do still put a 1-ball layer of hydroton on top of my false bottoms; I agree it is redundant tho....maybe I will stop lol...


Maybe I'm spoiled cause I live in southern california, but there are probably 15 hydroponics stores within a 10 mile radius of my house. I get a LOT of my supplies from hydroponic stores (coco mat, plastic slit pots, hydroton, mylar, etc) I actually don't know of anywhere else to buy much of that stuff...I'd go crazy having to pay for shipping on it :x
 
#30 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

The strength of the hydroball vs false bottom would be the surface area for beneficial bacteria and the slower release of water into the terrarium from evaporation. I am using them in the viv I am making now.
 
#31 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

I prefer Hydroton over false bottoms. Just drive to your local hydroponics store and pick up a medium sized bag for around 20 bucks or a monster size for around 49.99, plus you wont have to worry about shipping costs. I've bought the Zoomed hydroballs and they are actually smaller then Hydroton and way more expensive at my local stores. Just my 2 cents, but Like Brian WI said, LECA/hydroton helps with the bacteria.
 
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#32 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

I can agree with the bacteria...I don't know just how much of a difference that results in though.



Also, always pay cash when going to a hydroponics store and negotiate the price...its funny how that just isn't typically done in american culture...but its standard pipe shop / hydroponic shop culture ;)

I usually get the 50L (big) bag of hydroton for around 28-30
 
#33 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

Think of it like excelsior in a ff culture. It provides surface area for the bacteria to live on. They aren't solid balls to the water and bacteria, they are porous and have lots of area. Many bacteria don't do nearly as well floating around as thy do on a surface.
 
#34 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

I don't believe there's any benefit to promoting bacteria in hydroton vs a false bottom. If you want to concentrate on anything concentrate on a diverse microfauna population in your substrate layer. Hydroton will make tour substrate more saturated than a well designed false bottom. Capillary action will wick water up into your substrate. Hydroton is designed to wick water up! Hydroton is still going to be heavier and I think round orange clay balls look very unnatural. But it's all about personal preference I guess.
 
#36 ·
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?

frogparty,

Think of them as filter media. More surface area, more room for activity. Same reason they use the balls in fish filters. It ABSOLUTELY helps the biological action, there is no question.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Re: HydroBalls™ Lightweight Expanded Clay Terrarium Substrate?



Matala Pond Filter Mats

Latest generation of filter media that is rapidly gaining interest in the market.
Reasons are as follows:
• Made of Thermo-Polypropylene Compounds (TPPC )
• Formed into layers and shapes of thickness
• Very resistant to plugging • Excellent adhesion bacteria
• Lightweight, Very durable • Easy to cut and fit.


(MF) Filter Media Sheets Full Sheets: 48” x 39.5” x 1.5”
(MH) Half Sheets: 24” x 39.5” x 1.5”

Black-BK (Low Density)



http://www.utahkoi.com/html/matala.htm


I have used a similar product to this, from a different source in the past.


It worked great as a drainage layer. Very light, easy to cut.



2 layers is 3" thick


I covered it with sphagnum then substrate, but you can use screen then substrate.

Some similar products.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/295903883/Filter_Mat.html
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=plas...709857&page=1&tbnh=141&tbnw=184&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&tx=77&ty=74

http://www.thefind.com/pets/info-aquascape-matala-filter-mat
 
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