CFL Lights, HOW MANY WATTS Do I Need?

Hello
I would like to jump in real fast. I am a new grower, first time in fact! Yet I have been doing some research for the last couple months so I can get very well acquainted with growing. I will be using around 8 60-75 watt CFL bulbs. I have looked up almost everything on CFL and how to use them right. But I can find a answer to a very simple question. How should my cfl lay? Should the vertical side face the plant or should the horivontal side with the coils face the plant to give the most light to it. I am also using sheet aluminium as a reflector/heat guard will this work.

No alluminum. Go buy Mylar or white paint. Aluminum foul causes hot spot and sucks at a good reflection that can be used by plants. Both ways are pretty decent w/ the bulb. Try and get creative and build a Hood for it out of aluminum siding used for duct work. Mix up the spectrums. For example I run in flower 20 bulbs. 10@7500 and 10@2700. Pushing famn near 2k Watts just under 3amps and a rough 20,000lumens"usable " by my girls. I have 10underneath right now

Hey guys I need some help this is ma first grow and I wanted to know if 2 of the Wal-Mart 17 watts 75 watts equivalent flourescent grow lights and 4 cfls 42 watts 2700 k will do the trick for The flowering stage? Any advice will be highly appreciated!!!

Hey guys I have one plant under 2 Wal-Mart flourescent grow lights the ones that say 75 watts but really uses 17 watts plus 4 2700k cfls for flowering its that enough for one plant? Thanks

Tropical go to lowes or home depot you can get bulk 23watters(100w equiv) cheap.and you can get light spliters and extention cords

Thanks dave. I will check that out also another question my plant just start flowering 2 weeks ago and I top it a lot so I have 16 tops now and my roots are showing thru the holes of the bottom of the pot and the pot is 5 galons also another question the plant was grown indoors but I just brought it outdoors for flowering so it won't stink the hole house but my question is about the animals insects or any pest what can I do to prevent pest insects or animals trying to eat my bby flowers?

????? Anyone?

CFL.. I wont put a plant under anything less than 300 (actual) watts.. Of course there is spillover other plants can use, but 300 is a good starting point.

I like to run a few big 65 watts up top and a few 55 watts on the side, and several smaller bulbs to fill in the bottoms..

EDIT:.. actually, CFL grows, I only put them under 300 full watts well into flower.. I START (when doing non perpetual) with a single 26 watt bulb and work my way up two, then more.. what the plant needs as it goes, through it's life.. I never hit it with 300 all at once because that would be incredibly wasteful (relatively).