Sounds like your ready. We run 10 gallon strilite tubs from wally world. but I think your tubs are deep enough for autoflower as they will not get very big roots. The PH will be what you want to look out for and take into consideration the color of the water and nutes together, it will throw your test color off just alittle but nothing you can't deal with. A meter is nice butonly when you can afford it. A TDS meter would help but you don't have to have it. Follow the mix on your nutes and watch for leaf tip burn.If they burn just back off the nutes or add more PH water to dilute.
As far as clf's get as many as you can as close as you can. The bigger the light the bigger the buds.

What kind of water ? I know people on here say you can use chlorine tap water but this is what happens to me. I can use just one gallon tap to 5 gallons R/O and my plants turn yellow and die. I tried all tap water and watched them fall over as the water hit the roots. Maybe your problem with the areogarden.

We have been using R/O water and cal-mag plus this time and things are looking great.

When you cut the holes in the tubs becareful and try it on some scrap to make the fit. Some use and tin can just the right size and heat it with a torch and we use a 2 and 7/8 hole saw for 3 inch netpots. You can get a 3 inch hole saw from lowes but some cheap netpots fall through the hole.