Veg tent light setup - worth it?

I'm trying to gather as much information as possible before I go ahead and buy everything I need for a full gorw setup. I am wondering if anyone can give me some advice on the picture of my veg tent setup that is attached. Keep in mind this picture is just regarding the light fixtures and such, I didn't bother including any fans that I plan on.

I want to avoid excessive stretching of the clones while also being able to keep my lights within a reasonable distance to the mother once it gets large enough.

I was considering a 4-tube t5 4' but that will likely cause stretching for the clones. Now I am wondering if a 2-tube t5 2' for the single mother and a 2-tube t5 2' for the 12+ clones will be a sufficient amount of light for each group.

If there is a more efficient way around this, I'de appreciate the advice. Maybe a lower wattage cfl for the clones will be just as effective? I'm not sure... this will be my first grow.
 

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EgoPrime

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You don't need T5's for your clones. Regular T12/T8 bulbs, $20 for the fixture at Wal-mart will grow your clones just fine. You can grow your mother plants under regular old Fluorescent bulbs too. Fluoro's put off almost no heat and likewise you can lower them to almost directly on top of your plants with no adverse effects, and this will keep them from stretching.

If you're trying to save yourself money, don't drop 100+ dollars on a T5 setup for a veg setup.
 
t12's are supposedly on their way of moving out of the market because t8's are much more efficient. I'll forget t12's for now

I was able to find 2xT8 ballasts and light combos for $15 - $25. The t8 fixtures including ballasts and lights came up to be roughly the same price if not more than the t5 setups.

I'll give Walmart a call to check their prices out on t8's but from what I see online the price of a complete t8 bulb/fixture/ballast setup is roughly the same price as a t5 bulb/fixture/ballast setup. Maybe I'm missing something...

I doubt the t8 ballast without a proper fixture will encounter any issues within the tent but I don't want to hang a bare ballast with no fixture in grow tent. I'm not looking to ghetto rig shit, lol.
 
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