# LECA/Hydroton



## ronnie (Feb 26, 2021)

Hey all,

I did a search in the El Natural forum about the use of LECA and/or Hydroton, and didn’t see much information or thoughts regarding it. The only information I saw was some using it in their filter as a biomedia source. 

For those unfamiliar, in short, it’s the aggregate of small clay balls that are high fired until they “pop” kinda like popcorn. They are highly porous, pH neutral, and inert. 

I’ve never experimented with it in an aquarium, but LECA is a good for keeping some oxygen in the substrate, and also absorb nutrients that can then be later used for roots. 

Any thoughts on adding a handful to the substrate before capping? 

My thoughts are they would be a great place for bacteria to develop and (potentially) store extra good stuff produced from mulm as snails or worms bury through the substrate. 

The base would still be mostly soil, but then a scatter or the LECA/Hydroton mixed in. 

In terrestrial plants, roots love attaching to them. 

Do you think any of this would translate into an aquatic set up? In theory is there potential there? Or is it looking for trouble?

Anyway, just an idea and curious about what others think!


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## ronnie (Feb 26, 2021)

Upon more research, they have a high CEC (cation exchange). 

I remember reading something in Ms. Walstad’s book about cations. I need to go back and study it some more. Whether we can high exchange or not.


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## mistergreen (Mar 3, 2007)

The hobby have used baked clay products for a while like Flourite, safety sorb, or kitty litter. They look better as substrate rather than the bigger rounder LECA.


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

ronnie said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Do you think any of this would translate into an aquatic set up? In theory is there potential there? Or is it looking for trouble?
> 
> Anyway, just an idea and curious about what others think!


My vote would be not to change the standard recipe. Soil, humus, and mulm have huge amounts of CEC. There's no need to increase the CEC if you use a soil underlayer.


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## OlWolf (Sep 29, 2013)

Hydroton will float. Mixing it in the substrate will make substrate - and floating clay balls on the surface of your water. I used some in my tank, but when building from the bottom up as dry, I corraled the Hydroton in the eggcrate platform that I set my Focal on top of - a quartz "mounatin ridge". I know if I lift the ridge, the balls will float outta there! But they make a nice underwater surface for beneficial bacterial growth, so I wanted them under there!


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## ronnie (Feb 26, 2021)

Thanks everyone! I spent a lot of time researching various media and their CEC information. It was enjoyable. 

(In case anyone is interested), despite digging as far as I could on the Internet, I could not find the CEC of Hydroton. I’ve reached out to a geologist friend. 

The original recipe has always worked wonderfully for me, but I’ve seen various individuals talking about kitty litter (and similar products). This is what led me to Hydroton. 

Also, it will sink... eventually. If just thrown in, it’ll take weeks (or longer). I recently boiled some for a couple of hours. Some sank, some didn’t; but the next morning they all had sank. 

Anyway, overall the opinions online suggest using it for biological filtration (which I know, doesn’t always fit in the Walstad Method).


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