Late, I stopped using perlite for clones . I'm glad to see you're using bubbles with perlite. I think that's key. The perlite didn't hold up after a month and it got to be a pain to check the water level everyday. I'm trying several different ways to clone. In soil with a plastic bag on top to hold in humidity in the shade. Bubble cloner indoors. And in a glass jar skunky told me about. I'll let you guys know which one wins.