for 24 small plants a 600 would work. It covers about a 6x6 foot area and a 1000hps covers about an 8x8. If the ceilings are high enough.

Two 600hps would be awsome in a 4x8. You have to leave some room
to get in and take care of them so 4 ten gallon tubs would take up about 4x4 of your space to start and maybe spread out just alittle going into flower. I would go with the 1000hps. If you veg in the same room get a 400 or 600 MH bulb to go into the 1000 swithable ballast.

If you can get clones put one in some good soil like foxfarm and make a mother. Cloning is very easy and you need to keep trying till you get it.

If I were in a place to get clones I might never had a mother room but I can take care of myself and select the starins I want. At the moment we have Hawiianxskunk and Papaya some S.A.G.E. Skunk redhair and NothernLights.

It is very very hard to keep up with more than 2 mother stains at a time.