Yea ill be picking up a pH meter some time soon, thank you for the advice. I'm glad you like the set-up, hopefully the laws change soon in Virginia. I was using Miracle gro for a bit, but once I saw the difference with the General Hydroponics series I quickly made the switch. Everything I used is recycled, so I'm sure you have some stuff around the house you can think of using. But any ways have a good day.