For some unknown reason i did not take and keep a single  picture of the hydroponics setup from last year. This one is pretty close to it though and I will replace it when the  new one is up and  running. I might abandon my PVC design and go with the Vevor setup design, just much easier...and it might be cheaper than home depot PVC too.

Lessons learned: keep everything away from light. Seriously. mold and weird algae are killers for the plants. I had a setup which was at lease partially translucent. It was a constant battle to keep the algae down.  Also, get a good pump. I tried to go cheap and ended up spending more on cheap pumps than it would have been to just get a good one the first time.

Be sure to mix the chemicals in the right order too. 

Prepare Part A (Calcium/Iron): Dissolve Calcium Nitrate and your chelated iron/micronutrient mix (if separate) in separate containers of distilled water.

Prepare Part B (Potassium/Magnesium/Phosphorus): Dissolve Magnesium Sulfate, Monopotassium Phosphate, Potassium Sulfate, etc., in separate water containers.

Combine (In Reservoir): Add Part A solution to your main water reservoir first, stir well. Then add Part B solution, stir thoroughly.

Never Mix Concentrated Parts: Do not mix concentrated Part A and Part B solutions directly, as calcium will react with sulfates/phosphates, causing lockout.