Using small amounts of 'soil' and watering more regularly?

I'm growing herbs and salad in a window farm using all recycled and 'free' materials. I've grown herbs at my window sill before in pots, but never in a vertical formation. I was really invested in building it and growing from materials that I have gotten for free or re-purposed, basically not spending a penny. I was hoping to somehow come across those clay pellets and the little baskets you would use for hydroponic growing. But I have only come across a pete and coconut fibre mix. 

In the theory of hydroponics, not using any soil or compost for the roots to grow in and use energy to grow roots, the nutrient liquid goes straight into the roots.. So if I just use a small amount of 'soil' and make sure the aquarium pump turns on enough times in the day to keep the soil moist, but not using a lot of soil.. Will I get better results as you would see in a purely hydroponic set up, compared to pots only?