HPS Lights and seeds

When should I give seeds first light? from the very beginning? and I dont have a CFL for the first few weeks, can i use a hps from a fairly long distance for it?

I normally give them light as soon as they are potted, i use a CFL to start them off so temps don't kill the seedling. I pot them once they have a half inch tap root.

they'll reach toward the light and sprout from the dirt faster under a warm light. it just makes the soil dry out faster, so you need to keep an eye on that

i always give the girls 400w hps as soon as i see leaves , just keep the light 3 or 4 feet away and give em a little breeze, saves me changing lights or rooms......

You can use a HPS from the beginning, i normally cut the bottom off a bottle and put it over the seedling for the first couple of days, i also spray water on the surface every couple hours to keep humidity up.

Its better to use HPS from beginning in terms of less stretching and slightly faster growth, however you need to keep on top of it and make sure it doesn't dry out or wilt.