Ok.... Its going to be in a shed outdoors in your back yard I presume? A couple of things to consider: 1. Do you have a way of exhausting the old air and heat out and you will need to pull fresh air in as well. 2. How big is the space you want to gow in? You will need to make sure that your grow space isn't any bigger than 9 to 10 square feet to get the best out of your 250 watt lamp. What I'm saying is, you may want to put some kind of walling up around your plants with a reflective surface which you can use mylar or a cheaper method is just using white paint on the walls. As far as nutrients go, as a beginner to hydro style grow, I would go with something simple at first such as general hydroponics 3 part flora series (flora micro, flora grow, and flora bloom). Since you are using a bubbler you won't have worry about root rot so much because of the fact that you will have airstones sitting in the reservoir constantly mixing your nutes and providing fresh air to the roots. Just be sure to get a bottle of ph up and ph down that way you can adjust your ph as necessary. Always keep your ph between 5.5 and 6.5 where a ph of 6 is perfect. I have never used a ppm meter but have always just changed my nutes out about once a week to get rid of any plant waste and keeps the nutes balanced. I have been growing hydroponically for 2 years now and love it. It is a fun experience and the way you have complete control over your babies is awesome. But definitely make sure you can keep the temps below 85 and no higher which can lead to stress on your plants. If you are growing where it is not legal, make sure you can filter the odors out with a carbon filter. Best bet is to get at least a 6" inline fan with a carbon filter combo. You can get all your ducting cheap at lowes or home depot. Anyhow.. Let me know a little extra about your setup. Pics would be good too. Good Luck!!:thumbsup: