Thanks Opie. I really wanted to go HPS, but just didn't want to bite off more than I could chew with the first grow. If it goes well, and I can keep temps down with CFLs I'll try beefing up my fan and going HPS.

The tubs were originally clear. So I painted the outsides of the hood, which left the thin clear plastic on the inside with the white behind it. Is the clear plastic going to interfere with reflectivity. I know the light is going to refract while traveling through the plastic before it hits the white, but I just don't know how that is going to effect the hood.

Also because it is painted, when I turn the hood on, you can see light glowing through the white. Would it be smart to put a black layer over the white so that it doesn't glow ?
The inside of the hood would still remain white, but the outside would be black.
thex420 Reviewed by thex420 on . CFL Light Intensity Question... Does anyone know the optimum positioning of a CFL. What I mean is, does a CFL's light intensity radiate parallel to the bulb (inline with the coil) or perpendicular to the coil. I don't know exactly how to explain my question, but I do not know if I should align my bulbs so that they point at my plants, downward vertically, or if they should be aligned so that they point outward, horizontally. Does anyone know ? Rating: 5