should i get some fluoros or an HPS

If you can afford it and can ventilate to keep temps down you should get an HPS, 250W or 400W. Otherwise forget the long tubes and fill that box with as many CFLs as you can cram into.

 

I've done great vegging so far with cfls and tubes, the more light the better. So of course HIDs are better but they are more expensive and cost more to run. 32 sounds just a little short, expecially if that includes room for lighting.

 

behave!!! how is he going to run a 400w hps in a box less that 3ft tall!!
say his final pots are 10" tall, that gives him less that 2ft plant height to roof.
A 400w light & flector will be at least 6" deep, leaving 18" maximum height.

deduct the 2ft gap u will need between the plant tops & the bulb & u get the idea.

 

he did say "with proper ventilation" though....so throw a good cooltube in with that light, and it would probobly give you close to the same amount of room as would be had with cfl's..

i recommend using cfl's though.

 

Those 42W CFLs are pretty good for a veg cupboard IMO. I've got 2 they're pretty bright with a reasonable 'sweet spot'. Clone thru veg works well under these: so long as the plant is intended to be topped and stretchy. In my case this is in preparation for flower under a 600. I swear the bud production if you flowered in your space with those CFLs would be, i dunno, 1/16th of the potential of that very same dope plant given sufficient space & high wattage lighting.

Anyway

Low wattage HID's (say, 70 watt HPS) from experience have a much more intense 'sweet spot' with a much deeper, wider projection. ala High Intensity Discharge.

I've used both with the same genetics (clones of clones of a clone ya know) and the HPS deffinetely grew fatter, stronger, faster and less stretchy plants than the 2 42's. In your case i'd def. go with a HPS if you plan to flower in that tiny space. In my case i've actually ditched the hps for veg in favour of the slower, stretchier cfl growth. It takes 8 weeks for my producer to clear out of the flower area and in that 8 weeks under these i can come up with a fairly well prepared, pruned plant ready for 12/12.

Never tried this myself but if i had your particular space for production i'd try hanging a 150 hps, and cut the fuckin middle out of the plant during veg so you get maybe 5 or 6 bud producing branches pinned to the walls. i'd love to try this actually... a 120mm computer fan mounted directly under the bulb would do the trick to prevent burning... and obviously you'd have fair ventallation and a carbon filter. that would be wicked...