these are 24 oz. styrofoam cups with 5 toothpick holes, they drain pretty good. at first i was letting them set in the tray with the leach water to let them wick, but i have changed from that and started with bottled water this morning had been using tap. i only gave them a splash this morning because i have gnats and am trying to get rid of them, i have not fed them yet so it must be in the soil. i don't know what the soil is as the wife got it for me and said it was in a brown bag, my luck it is m.g. when i came in today they look a lot better. the pool testers i have is one with a strip stick and the other you fill with water and add drops of some other stuff but both you use a color chart.