Fluorescent light question. First Grow

not enough light. you would do better with 4 40w cfl's if you can find them with a colour temp of 5000k or higher. I use a couple 100w cfl's and they do great for about 6 weeks.

Alright, is there any 2ft fluorescent bulbs for the fixture that would work better? I don't really feel like dealing with getting new bulbs and fixtures.

I think 40 watt is as high as you can get with that fixture, not enought details to be sure...

It could work for maybe 2 plants for a few weeks, not much more...

to do a good job you'll need about 100w of cfl per plant. Sorry can't help at all on the flower side. I go to hid or sun light for flowering.

t12's are difficult to veg with unless you find t12 VHO bulbs. You should think about using t5s they are way versatile and affordable.

Alright gotcha, hmmm, so after these lights run there cycle in the process what exactly am i looking for after that, high watt cfls with high colour temps? Im kinda on a tight budget and just need a cheap light for veg and a cheap light for flowering.

Also, what about a high wattage t8 bulb?

I you want to do CFL I would use the highest wattage you can find and mix your spectrums 2700k and 5000k. If you could spend a little over $250 and get yourself a 4ft 8 bulb t5 lamp that produces 40,000 lumens (approx same as a 400 watt HPS).