Board in quarantine so I was tinkering with a little hydro set up to see how I handle it. Total cost 1.89 for air stones. Baskets made from Tupperware and pump is from my daughters old breathing treatment. Holds just under 4 gallons. Ph holding at 6 and ppm is 400. Temp 73. It has a gg auto seedling and a purple kush clone I am trying so I can learn to clone.
Still let’s a little light in. Don’t know if it will be enough or if I should paint it.
I would paint or cover with something. If water temp is 73 you’ll want to make sure there’s a butt load of air getting pumped in. Maybe something like hydro guard too?
This looks like something @peachfuzz would enjoy helping you out with.
I wouldn’t worry about light proofing it…
Temps are a little high…
What are you using for media…?
It looks like soil or something… 
Rapid rioters and some aquarium gravel. Lol
There is a lot of air coming from the cheap stones. I plan to get one of those long bars for plenty of air.
Forget the long bars…
You want the round medium size stones…
They are the easiest to clean …
Those long bars explode and break when trying to clean them…
Try to get some lava rock or hydrotone or even better , try to find some soft styrofoam or neoprene to make holder’s with…
I use neoprene collars from start to finish…
No rock or rockwhool or hydrotone… nothing…
Just a little neoprene collar shoved into a little pot just to hold the plant up…
Rapid rooters are ok , but they tend to hold to much moisture for what we are doing…
Also you need at least a 1" air gap from bottom of pot to water line…
