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When cleaning my growing pots which are about 200mm deep I noticed the Rice Hulls were still quite wet about 20 to 25% from the bottom. This was after not being watered for over a week. Tells me that Rice Hulls in a grow pot that deep may not be a good growing medium and maybe could have given root rot problems. Had I not been aboe to obtain the Hydroton I would have tried Coconut fibre next, also available here cheap and easy.
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200mm (or 20 cm, about 8-9 inches) is not deep to me. A lot depends on good drainage in the system. Did the system design allow for every inch of water to drain out the bottom in-between watering cycles? A lot also depends on how compact (packed) it becomes also. Coco fiber is commonly used in hydroponics, but unless the system drains well it can be a problem also (anything can be if it doesn't drain well). Some material holds moisture better than others (like coco fiber, and the husks), It can be beneficial because of it.
But if it's packed down to tightly (not allowing enough air to penetrate to the bottom and/or throughout it), it can also be a bad choice, especially if it doesn't have very good drainage. The more it packs down, the less air will be able to penetrate, and it won't be able to drain well regardless. I had 5 gallon buckets with coco "chips" in it (about 2 1/2 feet deep) but the drain was at the bottom and held less than 1/2 inch left at the bottom between cycles. Also at the bottom there was about 3-4 inches of plain rock (cleaned and sterilized) for weight and drainage. Also if pipes, tubes and filters tend to get clogged, that will block drainage as well.