I'm not dissing using live additives, I've been there and done that, I know what it does. My point is, if you are not using some sort of nitrifying bacteria with advanced nutrients (and almost every other hydroponic nuteient) then you are not making full use of all nutrients and also fucking with the ratio the plants recieve. AN do the science all you have to do is follow along, but if u don't use a nitrifying bacteria then you are not recieving the ammounts of available nutrients that AN intended.
The best layer of security a noob needs is one that is simple... Fact! Base nutrients that do what they should without any other shit u need to buy along the way.