New To Hydroponics, A Few Questions?

Okay I've i have now just finished up with my soil grow and now have endeavored into hydro. Currently I purchased materials to make a simple DWC bubbler system.

4 - 15 L\4 gal. Square Buckets (Black)
4 - 4" Airstones
1 - 12' Length of 1/4 tube
2 - Elite 802 Air pumps
12 - Jiffy pellets

My questions are:

1. Can I use tap water at the beginning until I can purchase and RO station? (I can find bottled 0 ppm water at stores)
2. Is there a Organic Hydro Nute anybody would recommend? Ive heard biobizz?
3. Would anyone recommend linking my bucket system and adding a rez to mix nutes and adjust ph? Or would it be wiser to maintain 4 separate rez's and maybe play around with different ph and nute strength?
4. Any TDS ppm and ph meters that are relatively cheaps as a posed to 250+ dollar combo meters? I don't mind the idea of a pen or combo pen just whether a constant meter is really necessary?

Other then that im goin to read more, Any other suggestions or tips would be great. Thx

1. Can I use tap water at the beginning until I can purchase and RO station? (I can find bottled 0 ppm water at stores)
2. Is there a Organic Hydro Nute anybody would recommend? Ive heard biobizz?
3. Would anyone recommend linking my bucket system and adding a rez to mix nutes and adjust ph? Or would it be wiser to maintain 4 separate rez's and maybe play around with different ph and nute strength?
4. Any TDS ppm and ph meters that are relatively cheaps as a posed to 250+ dollar combo meters? I don't mind the idea of a pen or combo pen just whether a constant meter is really necessary?

1.tap water is fine especially for hydro (chlorine) unless you have sulphur well water then buy some.
2.flora nova bloom and grow by gh (general hydroponics) is awesome...i use them and wow...just wow
3. if you can centralize nutes then go for it but having them seperate allows you to deal with individual problems without recirculating anything bad back to your main res.
4.screw the combo meters...if you have one of each, and one goes...at least you can monitor the ph or tds. please get both, you'll love me for it when your whole crop is saved in the nick of time by your decision to have one of each.
hope i helped...feel free to abuse any knowledge i have

Awesome, good reply. Just what i was hoping to hear. Thx man!
Ill save some money now but i will invest in a RO filter down the road.

I think Bugs gave you good advice
except about the RO

You definitely want to grow with RO.

I say buy two of each meter.

TDS I can grow without,
but I need my pH meter like a junky.

I have 3 pH meters,
and you wouldn't believe how often
one is in for repair.

I gotta have a back-up pH meter,
and do calibration at 4 & 7 set points,
at least once a month.
(that's how you find out the meter is broken,or that the probe is worn out)


I have a Milwaukee pH meter and a PinPoint Ph meter.
They are about the same price on ebay.

Replacement probes are about $50(ebay)

Pinpoint probes will work on Milwaukee,
and vice versa

They both have a two year warranty on the meter.

The probes are only good for 6-8 months,
so I get a new probe at the start of each grow,
'cause the probe will fail in the middle of your grow,
if it has been used on your last grow.

The probes last longer if you leave them in the rez full time.

Never expose your probe to distilled or RO.

The lack of ions in RO
will cause the reference fluid inside the probe
to loose it's Ionic charge.

if you must store your probe,
apply some 4 cal fluid to the cap,
and cover the probe.

Wow, thx both of you. Sounds like you know your shit Earl. Well next week I should have my seeds and start my setup. One other question about the nutes would be, Can you eye ball the nutes for the ppm or should i just spend a wad or cash and get both. Im kinda on a budget for the next few weeks. so even if i could push back a week for one of the meters it would help.