Prevent the perlite from drying out. When they have sprouted, continue watering as before but alternate between plain water and a fertilizer mixture of 1 tsp. of 20-20-20 water-soluble fertilizer with micronutrients to 1 gallon of water.
The perlite wicked the water from the vessel and kept their roots (feet) a little drier. I kept my weak fertilizer solution in the vessel and had relatively constant blooms.
Disinfecting used perlite with hot water raised media temperatures above limits necessary to kill several fungi and nematodes. Tomatoes planted in recycled perlite produced greater marketable yield and heavier fruit than those planted in new perlite.
To this you can also add some perlite if you like, and some swear by the addition of a bit of charcoal, but I always had best results with just the peat/vermiculite mix. While I used this mix to grow all of my violets, I also found it (sans perlite) to be the absolute best for rooting leaves.
A thread in the Texas Gardening forum, titled Bulk Vermiculite/Perlite in Houston?
For seed starting, you can use straight peat moss or blend it with perlite, sand, or vermiculite. For containers, you’ll want to mix up your soil, peat moss, and even add some perlite or vermiculite if you need a lighter mix for hanging containers.
The perlite, of course, is further drainage/aeration insurance. I, many/most of my friends, and many dozens of folks from a competing forum are growing in this mix.
A thread in the Beginner Gardening forum, titled Does adding perlite to planting hole count as good drainage?