So, I've posted a couple more pics of the current plants. They are sprouting new sets of leaves very quickly now. I'm worried that the lower leaves will now suffer from lack of light, given the canopy with the close quarters of this garden. It's difficult, even with the reflector built into the T5 lamp, I'm still losing a lot of light due to the environment - out in the open, without any reflective surfaces to help provide side light.

They have grown to approximately 6" in height. They appear to have strong, thick stems, measuring a little under 1/8" in diameter. Their stems are not as long and thin as I thought they would be. I've seen many post here that appear to be a lot thinner than mine. These stems seem to be shorter and thicker. One plant appears to be developing roots close to the surface of the seedling starter cube. Not sure, but may have to cover that up better. I wonder if it has something to do with them constantly being under the pump in the water.

I have the cabinet, but I need to either paint the interior, or line it with mylar. I believe that that mylar is easier to apply and more reflective than using flat white paint. However, painting is easier, in that I can obtain supplies easier. To get mylar, I'd have to wait for a shipment, or drive to the local hydro shop, which is probably a good 3 hour round trip. On the other hand, it may be some time before I have time to get the cabinet ready - I could always order it now, and if it's here, then I'll use that.

I'm hoping to get these cabinets ready before flowering begins. This will allow me to cut down on the smell, as well as the light and noise (fan). I'm curious on how long I should wait before attempting flowering. Should I take a clone from each to determine it's sex? This might be easier than finding out while they are in the planter, and develop interwoven roots. I believe you need to have at least 5 sets of branches (nodes?) before taking clones. Mine have three.

I'm considering building my own aeroponics garden, after I have the cabinet ready. It seems my plants are a little too close together. I could use a couple, longer, thinner containers, which could hold the same amount of plants, but spread them out, helping to avoid their canopy overcoming one another.

When I get to flowering, or perhaps at least when I have at least 5 nodes, I will add the HPS lamp, and move the T5 to the side of the plants. This should help a lot with the side lighting loss from lack of reflective surfaces on the sides currently.