does anybody know how close i can get a 400 watt mh to a plant?
actually this question is full of a innumerable amount of variables... first thing is, is it sealed reflector, a sealed and vented reflector, or just an open/cheap reflector..
In my closet grow, the 400w HPS(which generates more heat the MH, by maybe 10-20%) was simply to much heat... I even had above its effective distance (with a cheap reflector) and it still rose temps to 95 degrees and stress the plants A LOT. I replaced with a lot of CFLs...
On the other hand, in my new grow room ( i never wanna post pics of it) i have that light growing soil plants as fast as my bubbleponics has grown...
I realized it is amount temp, but ALSO the amount of open air.... when you a lamp that emits alot of heat but has plenty of free flowing air(which my new room has) then the light emits the same heat but can be dispersed easier..
They opposite can be said about closet grows... there is now where that heat can go, unless the reflector is sealed, vented, and proberly "fanned"(exhaust fan)
so basically my point is that i can't give you an exact answer... but based on what i have seen, if you in a large space(8'x8'), you can put a 1000w HPS as close as 6inches away from the tip but aslong as you got a a lot of CFM blowing threw a vented and sealed reflector...