Hello all!
New to aquaponics and frustrated beyond words finding suitable growing media in the small Montana town I live and work. I thought indoor gardening would be a fun hobby during the long winter. With discovering aquaponics, caring for, and watching fish swim appealed to me as well.
Well as I said, finding what I needed to build my small system from local suppliers was near impossible. I bought most of my equipment and supplies from mail order and for the most part did very well in terms of shipping costs. Most items were free. Where I got hung up was the media. I didn't want to use anything heavy like gravel or scoria and wanted some of the lightweight growing media I read so much about on forums as this.
The first time I bought a mail order media was through a hydroponic supplier on ebay. I decided on Growstones, for which I paid $120 for two 2-cubic foot bags. Unfortunately, I didn't get what I thought I was getting. I mistakenly ordered the Aerator. They are approximately 1/4" and smaller stones made from recycled glass. They had so much fine silt in it that despite washing two or three times before use, there was still quite a bit that settle through my system. I ended up removing it from my system and will end up using it as... well an soil aerator.
Well I think I finally hit pay dirt!
I found a product called HydRocks. Its an expanded clay pellet and soil enhancer sold by Home Depot of all places. Its distributed by Garick, LLC and is made in Louisiana or Alabama. The website wasn't specific. It differs from Hydroton or Plantit in that the product is unevenly shaped- almost like lava rock without the sharp edges.
It's $38 for 1.5 cubic feet- still not exactly cheap but right now Home Depot offers free shipping on orders greater than $45.
I previously found a product called Viagrow expanded pellets for sale at Home Depot. That product no longer is sold online and unavailable for shipping. Its was cheaper ($32 for 45 liters) and also offered free shipping if your order was greater than $45.
So hurry before they change their mind about the free shipping for HydRocks!
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