Do I need LED?

I don't even run a fan, personally. Just the one on the unit.

The thing you need to know is that hps-mh produce a lot of heat. Yes they are relatively cheap to purchase. And yes they do give good yields. But, for longevity. And for lower power costs. I prefer led.
There's less heat. And more light for less wattage. Than if you used hps-mh lights.

Trouble is. Good leds come at a premium price tag. But they'll essentially pay for themselves many times over if using for marketable product. And there's no buying new bulbs every year or so.

The T1 got here super fast, have it hanging in the closet. Now wishing I would have ordered seeds from a US company, the only thing holding me up

So is a good rule of thumb to keep my T1 always about 18 inches above the canopy or do I move it closer during flower?

Hi Skylan,

I recommend about 15-16 inches with the 90 degree reflectors on, dimmed for young plants, full power during flower. A 90 degree angle will produce a 24" spread at 12". Bringing the lamp up a few more inches will help even out the intensity but much beyond that the reflective loss on the walls will begin to negate the benefit of even intensity. So as long as the plants respond well you can get the lamp as close as 12", and a little more without the reflector if there was a height restriction issue.

So one last question hopefully, when you say dim for younger plants do you just mean not flipping that extra switch and also does this apply to seedlings?