yeah sorry, wasnt sure if i posted in the right place, so i posted here too...

Yes, I presoaked the rockwool.
I noticed my res. temps are a little high as well. The roots are fluourishing though, so I think my thermometer might be off. I bought it real cheap on ebay from hong kong. Im using a gallon tuberware container with aluminum tape around it to prevent light from getting in. Everything is contained within a 55gallon aquarium.