Quote Originally Posted by S-Style-S
ok then if i buy a 1000w ballast would it support a 400w bulb?
No. It would blow that bulb.
This is how I would do it personally if I only could afford 1 HID:
Get the 600 or 1000 HPS and veg under a bunch of 4 foot shop lights. I'd get 4-6 2-bulb fixtures to cover a 4x4 area and cram all your little plants under there until they are about 10 inches tall and sexually mature. Then switch to the big HPS for flowering.