Starting seeds in stone/perlite mix?
 

Hello, I'm new to the forum, and new to hydroponics (although I've been soil gardening (indoor and outdoor) my whole life). I built two drip systems from 15 gallon rubbermaid containers, each of which has (4) 6" mesh pots cut into the top. I'm using washed stone chips and perlite (maybe 25% perlite) as my growing medium. I'm using two 105 watt, 5100kV, (mogul base) CFL's for my main lighting, supplemented with two 42 watt, 2600kV CFL's.

I'm planning on growing chili peppers and tomatos. My question is, should I start my seeds in a small rockwool cube (or something similar) and then place the rockwool into the stone after they sprout, or can I plant the seeds right into the stone/perlite mix (about 1/4" deep)?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Def. start in rockwool cubes. Also, instead of the stone chips, you should be using something that will hold water like crushed lava rock or hydroton. You would not need perlite in this case. Everything else sounds great, Make sure you use an air pump and bubble stone to keep the water oxygenated.