light/set up questions

so i have a couple cfls laying around my house i figured id just add to my set up.



this says is puts out 1570 lumens. how many lumens should i have total being output for 3/4 plants? assuming they should be close (within a few inches).

also, planning on getting a 400watt hps light, but im not really sure how these ballast things work (https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/7374/BV-V90D1912K.html). says its a 4 tap? that mean i can plug in 4 light bulbs or what and each at 400watts or in total?

what are the other general lighting requirements for growing?/any other lighting information thats important to know.

i currently have a t5 4' 2 mixed bulb fluro that puts out an unknown(to me) amount of lumens.

also, is this a good bulb to maybe get a few of?
http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Perfect-Daylight-Balanced-Ephotoinc/dp/B003I6MTAC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1278642123&sr=8-2

Hey man to answer your question you want about 2500 lumens per sq ft for vegging.

You also want to make sure your using 6500k spectrum bulbs also.

That ballast would be a no man sorry. You need a ballast specifically designed for growing you should go to www.htgsupply.com as they have great customer service, everythings warranted and they have decent prices.

I would go with a digital ballast though it can run Mh and HPS bulbs as well as being way way way smaller in size and creates allot less heat.

10000 lumens per square foot is ideal for growth. Most people average 5-8K per sq ft. Youll want about 3-4 of those 26W CFL's PER PLANT, or a 400w HPS would be fine for all 4. I have a 400W HPS for just 2 plants.

Other things: a 400w hps gets HOT. You WILL need a powerful fan to blow over it or make/buy a air cooled hood/cooltube. Those high wattage CFL's are good if you're low on space and have a fan blowing over it as they get hot as well. 42W CFL's have the highest lumen/watt ratio.

ok thanks for the info guys, ill check out that website too.