Hi Amelie, I too like Alocasias and am also planting in semi hydro. I know, I also don't know how people on Youtube successfully plant them in leca. I suspect they don't show them a few months down the road though. They always look good at first. For me it has a hit and miss. Some alocasia do well in semi hydro, some don't. I have also tried pumice. Again, some do well, some don't. For example my Alocasia Sinuata does well in pumice. My Melo, not so much.
So it's all trial and error. I haven't tried growing them long term in perlite though, other than to propagate. But why not try leaving them in perlite long term?
