[GpsFrontier]

Hello ryeookin,

I thought they'd eventually grow and be pretty big from what I've read online.. eventually needing the water, maybe a month or 45 days down the line. From what you said that's not so.

That 's not really what I meant. I didn't mean that the plants won't drink up much water over a 45 day period while they grow to full size. I meant that seedlings an inch or two tall don't need a gallon or two of water each. You can start seedlings in a small container and transplant them into their permanent home after they get anywhere from 3-9 inches tall (depending on the type of plant and hydro system). I attached some pictures of a simple seedling starter like I'm talking about that I built.

You'll notice it doesn't have a gallon or two of nutrient solution in it. Only a cup or two. Also the nutrient solution in it is very weak. I would mix one gallon of full strength nutrient in a gallon jug, then pour a little in the seedling starter, then dilute that by adding more fresh water to it. So it was something like 10-25% of full strength. I didn't even have an air stone in it. I just sloshed the water inside it a couple times a day to soak the bottom of the rockwool cubes to keep them moist throughout the day. However If I had a pump and air-stone I could have used at the time, I would have liked to use it so I didn't need to make sure the cubes didn't dry out and slosh the water around by hand.

Ideally what I'm trying to mimic (if I can get my initial tests to work) will be this guys hydro setup at my house with those black bus buckets:
Easy & Quick Hydroponic Spinach & Kale - YouTube

Looks pretty simple. Does that look viable to you?

Yes that is a typical water culture system, and very close in design and materials that I built for growing lettuce. Here is a link to the one I built Forth System

I'll also look into testing with bottled water or distilled water to test if water quality is an issue.

I wouldn't use distilled. For more info on the subject, there are some articles about water quality on my website on the "Hydroponic Gardening Articles" page. Also here is a link to the water filtration system I built for my greenhouse.

Give them less light in the seedling stage as the close proximity of the light indeed could be drying the seedlings out. When should I move the light closer and how close should it be do you recommend?

That's not really what I meant. Not necessarily less light, and soon they will need much more light. Just that the close proximity of the bulb to the leaves can easily burn leaves (especially seedlings). More florescent light, but placed farther away so they wont burn the leaves. Not enough light and the stems grow long and skinny as the plant reaches up to the light source. If it has enough light, the plant doesn't need to reach up to it.

Well I was germinating them in a plastic dome for a week or so (which goes well) then was transferring them to the netcups out of the dome at about a week. Should I keep them in the dome longer?

I would if you can, at least until they get 2-3 inches tall or so. That would help give them a better start. As long as it doesn't get to hot under the dome, and they get enough light through it.

If I need a air pump I'm cool with that. If I do get this worked out where by I can get them growing well with an air pump,

I get them at Wal-mart in the pet supply's section. Just a simple aquarium pump. I wouldn't bother getting the more expensive one that states it's more quiet than other brands. To me they are about about exactly the same, and the aqua brand is half the price of the other one. Here the twin output (30-60) gallon aquarium pump runs about $12, and will work fine for now. If you need more air output later when the plants get big, just get another one.

As such I think my next step here would be to pick up a ppm/EC meter as that'll likely be more helpful in the future

That's fine if you have the extra money. In over 7 years I haven't found the need to buy one yet. A good one will run you at least 100 bucks, and I can buy lots of nutrients (3,000-4,000 gallons worth) to grow lots of plants with that money. The EC/TDS/PPM meters only tell you the total accumulation of everything in the water, they just don't tell me the one thing I want to know. That is what amounts of each element. Plants don't use nutrients evenly, so you can start with a balanced nutrient solution, and even have the recommended EC/TDS/PPM weeks later. But the nutrient solution can still be unbalanced and deficient in some elements and toxic build ups of others as the plants grow and time goes by. EC/PPM/TDS meters only tell you the relative total strength of the nutrient solution, but not what's in it, or in what amounts their in. You can easily judge the relative strength without a EC/TDS/PPM meter.