I have run coco loco but have found it a bit to fine so I started adding perlite after I spent a 10 month learning time I found this place. coco is your best friend if your a bit lazy. You almost can't over water it that said I run my pump 4 times a day for just long enough to empty my reservoir, here is the place you should READ if you use to much nutrients they will grow like a bitch and big leaves some of the biggest ak47 I have ever grown. I am sure that coco is the best for my situation. I have some recommendations, if you grow for the faster way to produce. I use the average to fastest flower strains.
This is how I do it good quality coco if on sale buy extra them mix with perlite 70/30 I spent 10 months to learn that mostly everyone here uses that mixture. Now I don't lollypop, I trim for clones and to keep the bottom of plant clean and clear where air can move freely over the base of the plant. I clone in beer cup with the clip and dip and put straight in the coco. Now as a veteran of the bike seen there are plastic beer cups that are clear, bare with me here one bigger than the other so it will be the dome. The bottom is also clear and you can see the roots. Keep dome on till you see first white lines then uncover give a few days transplant to bigger pot. Back to coco get a bag (or brick) of the courses coco you can buy. In the bigger pot but 2 inches of it in the bottom ( I hate canna products but risotonic I use cause I had it left over from the most expensive grow not the biggest or best and boost is chemistry 2.47 there cost and 84.00 your cost and if you don't use there complete regiment boost is only half as effective). I spray a solution of 40ml to qt. water and I spray on the course coco a good coat then put plant in and fill with the 70/30 mix . after 30 days big or little. Transplant to the biggest pot throw a little course in the bottom not a lot and fill with 70/30 Leave an 1 on the top add the course coco. If would take 2 pages to explain all this.
The course coco will keep the main mix moist air can move around the top. No salt build up and no mildew or mold. The die off fan leaves will fall in the flood table and float to skimmer and the ones that fall in the pot will hit dry coco and dry up quickly with out mold or mildew it only takes a small fan over the area at the top of the pots. The air flow is very important.
I say this because many here grow medical and many are just after the buzz and want to smoke the best in town. I am the latter I have grown bubblegum, White widow ,Eldorado, arour indica, Medusa, Light of Ja, ak47, strawberry kush, Ice, white castle, Seeds from Mexican weed collection. Everyone is a little different to very different.
I am sure that there are better ways and this works for me Jacks Nutrients for hydro. This is not a thing most can get pure cane sugar before its dehydrated (can only get if you get from a sugar refiner , I married into a family who work there) I add this it likes coco and doesn't stay in the mix and ferment as it can do in dirt. I use 1tlb to a gallon and spray on the top of the roots twice a week. I start at the beginning of bloom. Till flush. I use MOST from jacks added to reservoir when I plant in the biggest pot and ONLY once. Nutrients cost me about 38.00 per grow. I get very close to the projected weight to sq/meter mostly. My stash smells good and burns to a fine white ash and tastes like what ever I like. If your not curing your weed for 10days to 14days till the process has changed it from tastes like hay to a smooth strain taste and I age for about 90 days. The best advice you can get here is to read read someone had the same problem as you have and will answer.
If you mix jacks per the instructions you will run between 975 to 1250ppm. ph will be from 5.4 to 5.9 . Remember that the MOST will effect that a little and if your heavy on the raw sugar it will rise up to 6.1 or 2 and drop back which Seamaiden says is ok keeps you out of lock out. If she gives you advice I would take it. She thru her posts has save several I tried to kill. My biggest thing to a new grower or first time to coco watch the
cal-mag with Jacks you don't use it and if you can grow White Widow without it showing a deficiency of some type your getting very good I like the strain good smoke but is bitchy as a old widow and has been bread to so many things. One thing about WW if you use areo cloner add a little
cal-mag to the mixture and feed it while cloneing they will go yellow or the fan leaves will look strange WW will cut to 3 fan petals in stead of 5 or more as it should be. I gave up on it but found strawberry kush to play with now. Remember its a Weed try to leave it that way if you want a test get an ear of heritage corn and one of gmo. Heritage corn will taste gmo will not and remember the taste of an old breed of tomato now you would be better off eating a cardboard box. For the medical people I understand but all these changes are going to end with Weed that tasts like cardboard and you will need a PHD in chemistry to grow it. I went back to Jacks because is what my grand ma put on our now my garden. Some part of the weed industry needs to stay with the it's a weed.