cool beans.
Yes its good to rinse the rockwool, and then presoak in 5.5 ph overnight to correct the ph problem. The ph in the small cubes isn't to big of a problem in my experice compared to the 6x6x6 blocks, where there is so much more rockwool.

Sure to grow is a netural ph, but its really flimsy, and I don't like it as much.

are you using the little peat pucks, or the rapid rooters?

I havn't ever used either, so I cant compare, but that would be cool if you did a comparison/ = ) seems as though the stuff would break down over time and mix with the water, but yeah I havn't used it so i don't know.

I used recirculating water culture systems in the past, but have switched back to the buckets, allowing me to have a staggered harvest. I know in recirculating systems people have problems with the peat breaking down at getting everywhere,although I am not sure what causes the breakdown, im guessing the recirculating of the water over the puck. but in these standalone buckets, with just a aip pump doesnt seem like a big deal.

what did they send you with the kit when you first bought it to start seeds with?