Hi Xquisit85,
She seems to be doin pretty good now, and sounds like yer gettin some good help!
One thing you can do if ya want with those 5 gallon Buckets, if you don't really have a lot of dough for new stuff, is just drill a crap ton of holes in em. You do have to have a drill and bit for that, but it does work pretty good, and I've done fine with it before. The fabric pots, like somebody said, are really awesome though, Cannabis craves oxygen for it's roots, and growing in Coco Coir, like it looks you are, really works good with all that aeration. Drilling holes in a pot with pot in it, is pretty sketch though. I do it sometimes, but I run power tools a ton and am not always the brightest with my own stuff!!
You can use Baking Soda as a PH up, and Vinegar as a PH down if you want. I have used a PH test kit kinda like what a pool might use, and they work good to check all the water and Nutrients you give the plant, then you can adjust accordingly. I grow in soil with lots of earthworms and organic material now though, so I don't have to really worry about PH with that method.
BTW, what kind of light ya got goin?
Also make sure to check all the tutorials up top about the subjects you have questions on, lot's of great info.
Good luck with your first grow!!