@Auto melt
I started hydro way back in the day with a simple recirc, continuous feed with halos over hydrotron, draining to sump and pumping back with an aquarium pump and a bubbler in the sump. I was using garden sieves as the pot.
I went rdwc and it's great but these days I use a pimped version of the above, see here.
https://www.autoflower.org/threads/f6s-ultimate-hydro.61348/
It's easy easy easy, soiless and produces. Don't need to go to as much trouble as I have with ebb and flow or the in pot airstones and bio press, or add them between grows if you like!
Just a suggestion, I haven't tried Coco so it might be a good option for you
By the way, I only use pH drops and an EC pen