Aqua culture is a passive hydroponic method where plants grow directly in water or LECA clay media, with no soil, pump or power required. This collection covers everything needed to set one up: expanded clay grow media, clear orchid pots for root monitoring, a one-part liquid nutrient, and Kinto vases for Kratky-style display growing.
Aqua culture for simple hydroponics
Aqua culture strips hydroponics back to its simplest form — a container, an inert medium or water reservoir, and a nutrient solution. Without soil to buffer moisture and pH swings, growers get direct visibility of root health and far more control over feeding. It suits orchids, tropical foliage and propagating cuttings equally well, and because there's no pump or timer, it's one of the lowest-maintenance ways to grow indoors.
What's in this Collection
Kinto Aqua Culture Vase (Small/Clear) — Japanese-designed clear glass vessel for passive Kratky-method growing
TEKU Clear Orchid Pots (120mm/150mm) — German-made, 13-hole drainage, in 0.74L and 1.3L volumes
Colossal Clay LECA (13–26mm) — large-grade expanded clay pellets, available from 1L to 50L bags
HY-GEN EuroClay LECA — premium European-sourced expanded clay aggregate, pH stable and reusable
Tetrabase Grow Media — inert, BPA-free, dust-free reusable media made from recycled materials
Growth Technology Foliage Focus — one-part liquid nutrient for ornamental and tropical foliage, in 1L and 5L
How to choose
Choosing a grow media
Colossal Clay's larger 13–26mm pellets suit bigger pots and orchid baskets, HY-GEN EuroClay is a finer, more uniform grade favoured for DWC and NFT runs, and Tetrabase is a dust-free alternative made from recycled material if you'd rather avoid clay altogether.
Choosing a pot
The 120mm TEKU pot (0.74L) suits compact orchids and seedlings, while the 150mm (1.3L) suits established plants with larger root systems. Both are clear, so you can check root health and moisture without disturbing the plant.
Nutrient and vase
Without soil, roots have no nutrient source, so Foliage Focus is added at low strength to begin — around quarter-strength EC — and adjusted as the plant settles in. The Kinto vase needs no pump: it works on the Kratky method, where the water level drops as roots draw it down, creating an air gap that supplies oxygen.
A-Grade Hydroponics stocks the full aqua culture range in-store at Cheltenham, VIC, with Australia-wide shipping. Our team can help with media selection, nutrient dosing and compatible plant species — call (03) 9555 6667 or browse the range above.
