what distance from 1000 watt hps?

i have been running all my steins togeather, at about 16" below the air cooled light. i dont want to burn em. but i want the maximum fillout. some streins are more airy than others. esspecially sativas, and hybrids. funny, tho, my two best ones are not as firm as some ive had, but they are the better smoke. still, some dont like ANY buds that are not nugget firm. my medi (herojuana), has all of its nugs firm. even the bottoms. i think its because its a slightly spindlely plant, that lets the light in. anyway. how close you guys run your lights? i do have a refiprocating 12" fan on em 24/7. i switched back to the fox farm nutes, and no differnence. i have also been running my adjustable ballast at plus 10% setting (1100 watts). any ideas on distance would be appreciated. thanks.

I would keep the light 14 to 24 inchs in flower ideally 16 inchs,
For veg 36 inchs

so i have been doing it right. thankyou. as i allready knew, different sterins have different levels of tightness to the buds. i dont have this problem on some streins. but a knolledgable fellow pointed out, that its the light distance. well, im sure it helps, if incorrect to begin with. but im right on the distance. thanks again. you just saved me from cooking my plants, thanks for my "second opinion". peace.

36" for veg? i am like 6" away, and using a t-5 for veg.

With T5s you can put them right on top of the girls. I have mine at 1" from 2 week old girls.

As for 1000watt HPS it's all a guessing game being so many strains act differently to heat from light. I use 600s in flower and I'm adjusting them all the time according to how each plant reacts. Have not mastered the distance issue yet, probably never will.

My last grow I used a 1000watt hydrofarms hood with 8" ports and sealed glass; paired with a 12500 btu ac ducted directly in; I was able to exhaust enough heat to get most of my plants 4-6" from the fixture.