For the money 400 will be your best bet...florescent are great for starting, 250 great for small plants..but 400 will give you a decent yield for the finish...last time I grew indoors, I got 14 zips from a 400...not a bad deal indeed.
Have you switched to 12/12 yet? as of yet I don't see anything that I can positively confirm....I can say that i don't see anything....Male....at this time.
That would depend on weather it's Ind or Sat or even a blend I once had a Sat the refused to flower until the lights hit 10.5 hr and have had ind start flowering at 14...so I think 15 is the lowest one could go and stay in veg.
Sorry about abbreviating Ind and Sat, but my spelling sucks and...
I don't know in a tent your size, best I've done in a 4x4x8 with a 400 and 2-28 watt cfl's under the canopy was14oz 2g...and I had my hands full...7 weeks veg seems like a long time for just a 5ft ceiling...best of luck, though.
I switch out bulbs every other grow and you might get by with 3..but by grow 5? the light output and spectrum will be greatly diminished, affecting yield...it's great to be frugal...but at what price???
Cool temps and or a lack of water can also contribute to that...still better than store bought any day! and you know what your getting...no pesticides!
I'm a smoker and anymore when I get these fucken pests, I boil up some tobacco and spray the fuck out of my plants and kill the bastards! since I'm a smoker, the nicotine ain't gonna hurt me and it doesn't hurt the plants..