Anyone ever use hydroballs?

[yilduz]

So, I just got a 29 gallon tank (to upgrade our two frogs from their 10 gallon) and I was told these Zoo Med Hydroballs work very well is a way to make ponds and mold the landscape. After rinsing and soaking them, they're just in their ball shape. I'm not sure exactly how to use them, or what I'm supposed to do because it's basically like working with gravel. I figured it would become loose and we could mold it.

Anyone know what I'm supposed to do with these balls and how to use them to mold my landscape with an area for a pond?

 

[reefster]

hydroballs are used for a drainagae barrier. they stay in a ball shape. you can pile them to get a rough shape of your landscape but you still need to put down a screen or mesh layer on top of the hydroballs and then your final substrate.

 

[kdpuffer]

Like reefster said they are your drainage layer, the thing with hydro balls is that they are lightweight unlike gravel. This greatly reduces weight, the other option is a false bottom.

 

[kdpuffer]

I actually have a thread, startup PDF vivarium, I used hydroballs and did a water feature check it out and if you need further assistance at all feel free to ask.