“While you can pick any material, you want for your container, beginners would be best served by sticking with a hard opaque plastic. Try to go with a light grey or white color instead of black. The reason to pick plastic and avoid black is to reduce how much heat the container absorbs. A metal container or a black container will hold on to more heat and raise the temperature of the nutrient solution in your system. An opaque plastic will prevent sunlight from getting at the roots and promoting algae growth.”