First time DWC...question
Botanicare make organic hydro fert. they also make chemical synthetic fert. I think the synthetic stuff tends to work faster, while organic fert makes better quality although it's probably stinky. Soil growing makes for less guesswork. People screw up a soil grow because they either overdo or underdo the fert. Meaning they don't really know what they're doing. What's good about hydro is you can easily measure pH and ppm and make adjustments. In soil, you can't. But done right, soil can be easier than hydro, even though you have to clean up some potting soil. It's really a tradeoff. Understand how each one works and make your choice. They're both good methods provided you don't try to get too fancy and over-control your grow. In the end, you have to give good air exchange to both or you'll have problems.