i think it was light leaks as there is a gap at the bottom of the cuppboard door about 1.5 inches high due to the removal of flooring so you are probably right.
also early in the mornings about an hour b4 the 600w light comes on i open the cuppboard to put another few small clones in there to help get them going faster but i have always made sure the roo lights were on 'very low' using my dimmer switch. I have learnt my lesson now the hard way.
it is a shame really because these plants were doing so well as you can see from the pic in the first post.
what are the chances of the seeds becoming hermaphrodite too?
oh and one last question, what does the pre-flower stage mean?

i just waited for my clones to reach a healthy 12 inches high and then just moved them from 18/6 to 12/12 then hoped for the best. thanks