Greetings @blkbelt65,
At startup with octos, make sure that your rez water level actually touches the basket so water can wick up from there. Keep it low, but still touching the net cup.
To avoid the ‘empty basket’ problem you need to pack your soil firmly in the basket before filling the rest of the sleeve.
Another trick is to use @Jetdro’s “Turbo” transplant method where you begin by putting an empty pot or cup (with drain holes) the same size as your seedlings in the dry octo soil, then water straight down the cup. The water will drain straight down towards the rez and when you transplant your roots will follow that path to the reservoir. That’s much faster than the first topwatering the Octo instructions suggest.
Don’t panic, you are on a righteous path!
Regards and best of luck,
-Grouchy