sitting phrags in water is how I grow them.
I used to think caudatum types could not be sat in water, but they even do better sitting in water for me. I don't use S/h balls though, but I'm sure they would work well.
I just tried paphs in S/H this fall so it might not be long enough to make good judgement.
They seem to be happy for now. I unpotted and I didn't have any root loss. But don't put any old roots close to the base of the pot where the water source is or the old roots will rot. Some plants who weren't healthy to begin with, got better under S/H.
I think I might put other plants back into bark after my vaccation, some plants don't seem to necessarily be better off either.
My paph maudiae-type hybrid seedlings look terrible in S/H. But my adult maudiae-types look ok. I'm not sure about this group of paphs yet in S/H for me, although I got one to bloom right now in S/H
I did try parvi in S/H and they are ok for now. I have paph magic lantern, paph maliopense, paph ho chi minh, paph vanda m pearman in S/H. As well as paph jackii seedling that is very happy (and paph maliopense has been growing well, it came to me as a rotting plant). No root loss on these plants, and new roots and leaves poking out this spring on all plants. (I hope a sheath soon...)
Paph. Pedro's Moon (Pinocchio x armeniacum) was looking very bad for some reason that I was unsure of, but now all of its leaves are healthy under S/H and quickly too.
I think S/H gives mixed results with paphs but I still have to figure things out, I have not screwed up terribly other than the maudiae-type seedlings
Edmonton water has high pH. I hope that is ok