Just in case anyone ever wondered what happened with all that.
Root growth on the plants was crazy.... & I guess I never really did use enough of the nutrients - according to some video I recently found on youtube. I only got several peppers off of one plant that I allowed to grow. Most of the other pepper plants I tried to get them out into my raised bed garden. Some of them would grow for a little while, but eventually wilted. Probably due to shock from the sun or something.
Changing the water was the biggest hassle of the whole thing. With the roots entangling below the netted pots, there was NO way to take out the individual pots... You'd have to move the whole lid of the bin/basin.
If I ever try it again I think I'll do away with the netted pots and hydroton pebbles. Then, get some large syringes and put the PROPER amount of nutrients in part of the water I'd used. Have 3 buckets of water for each type of nutrient... After diluting the nutrients, let them settle for a good while, then mix it all together.
In place of the hydroton and netted pots - I think I'd try to use a misting or fogging system instead of the aerated water.