I will be purchasing a Bubbleponics soon, been researching it for about a month, i am getting the kit with light included, i will add more light and change the nutes, but i am a first timer and this system makes it look easy and i am not patient enough to make my own.... However to answer your question (if i can)hydro is alot more powerful than just regular grow, and as you know it sales for ALOT more. Where i live you can buy a gram of hydro for $60 and an ounce of reg for the same. Anyways i hope this helps and let me know how it goes with you Bubbleponic, i cant wait to get mine (same prob here with the kids...)