1st timer ebb and flow

I have a 3x3 ebb and flow table coming today. I have ten rooted clones and 7 that will be rooted in a week or less. I have the general hydroponics 3 part. I'm going to be using hydroton as my sole medium. Clones rooted in rapid rooters (which appear to have some mold or something on them). Ten that are rooted are in 1 gallon pots and I've been hand watering them 2-3x a day for the past few days (I needed the clone tray). They are suffering. Hopefully having the flood table and better nute mix will fix them. I want to have 16 go all the way and want to start flowering when the new clones are well rooted, hopefully about a week. I have 3 strains-jack herer, el niño, and an old Alaskan strain that's older than I am.
I'd like some help along the way. I'm new to the ph and the meter and it's use intimidates me.
Hopefully half of the plants will be old ak and the other half split between jack and el niño.
I will be using a 600 watt hps for flowering and a mh for the few days of veg. I may throw a small led panel on the side too.

Questions:
Should I use the older clones and try for around 16 total or would I be better off with 7 clones that are all the same strain (old ak)?

Should I go straight off the bottle for my nute mix?

Do I need airstones in my res?

The tray is too short I gotta get them all in rockwool. Thought the trays were taller, well mine isn't, and shipped in a box with pic and description of contents on the outside of the box.
Any opinions on them bud blankets?
Can I use purified water from one of those water stores? Like the ones that fill 5 gallin jugs for office water coolers?
I only have 13 gallons of water dechloronized.

Went with hydroton. Just filling it up, gonna get the plants in as soon as the water is good and I get enough hydroton in the tray. What a pain in the ass to rinse them rocks! I'm tired of waiting, i want them budding, the weed round here's good but I never thought I'd be buying other growers inferior buds. I'm a 2 oz a month smoker, I gotta get growing! My 3 moms look great, el niño sure packs on leaf fast. Old ak strains always got trichomes on it, the moms, the clones. Can't wait to have some in the jar! I'm smoking some I think nlights/widow I got that's pretty good but gets me sleepy.

Rinsing hydroton is easy. Just wait till you have to pick roots and rinse the old roots out!! Anyways to quickly answer a few of your questions, yes you can use water from those water purifier stores or vending machines. Just add calmag to the water cause it's stripped of any kind of catalyst such as calcium iron or magnesium. If you having no problems with your tap water declorinated keep using it! When you have good tap water use it and only use distilled water for emergency water. Also I have never used bud blankets so I have no imput on that but you should hand water your plant every 4-6 hours for a week or two till the roots reach the water level. Also watch your Rez temps. Oh and you don't need airstone in your Rez. People may say it helps but your growing ebb and it uses gravity from the floods to airate your roots. I found airstones in a ebb grow only heat up your Rez temp and crazy fluxuate ph. What you do need tho is a water pump dropped in the Rez hooked up to a timer to stir the tank. Stirring less is best to. Stir before flood cycles. If you keep the water moving all the time it will heat up your Rez fast