Check my setup, give me some tips

Hi everyone! I'm pretty new to hydroponics but have read several books and most all the information available on the internet. I'm just about ready to start growing, but am waiting on seeds and me growlight to arrive in the mail. The only questions i can think of now are about ph meters and growing mediums.

I would like to use grow rocks for my medium as i am using an ebb and flow system (ovbiously). What i was wondering is how i should transplant seedlings into a medium such as grow rocks. will it be alright if i get a vermiculite/perlite mix into the system if its in the center surrounded by growrocks? i am kinda afraid the prelite and vermiculite will wash away from the rock medium and into my reserviour with flooding and whatnot...

The second questiuon is about inexpensive pH meters with two solid bars. I have recently bought one and am wondering: Can I just let it sit in my reserviour and not take it out and clean the tips or not? Id like to be able to check pH at a glance.


Thanks guys!

Hey there,
im coming to the end of my fourth week of growth on my hydro set-up with a flood n drain. I don't think you can go wrong if you use rockwool as your medium...it makes life a hell of a lot easier when transplanting seedlings to the main grow room etc...so much less stress on the young plant. Just start your seeds off in dampened prepared rockwool, then when they're ready to go into the main grow setup, just prepare bigger rockwool cubes with a hole in so that the smaller ones can fit straight in to them....fingers crossed, a very simple and beginner friendly procedure!!!
Im a first timer that didnt really have much of a clue, and look how mine have turned out so far!!!
As for your PH question, Id say its best to keep it clean and just check it as often as you can...one thing you cannot afford is to ph levels wrong or the plants can suffer. If you leave it in all the time, it may become clogged up or something, id personally prefer not to take the risk and clean it after each use.
Hope it goes well for ya
MNSN