First Cabinet Grow CFL-CHEAP

Here is pics of my first indoor grow. Would appreciate your comments, and suggestions. Basically started this with very little knowledge and money. Made alot of mistakes, but its been a learning process. Wish I had done my homework BEFORE I started, but I have never been one to follow directions too well. The entire operation was done for under $100.
(Sorry I don't have earlier pics, these are from week 5 bloom.)

I bought the cabinet at a garage sale. Its a cheaper version of a Rubbermaid type tool cabinet. 69"H, 25"W, 17"D. Sealed seams with silicone, painted inside black, covered with mylar, weather stripping on doors.

For ventilation, wired 2 computer fans as exhaust near top on backside,
originally had cut 4 1" holes near bottom as passive intake with pvc elbows. Long story short-temps too high, removed elbows, enlarged holes to 2 1/4".

Originally started with 6 27watt CFLS. Added 4 more CFL at bloom. Now have 7 27watt , 3 23watt. The four foot shop light was added around week 3 of bloom, as plants lengthened. Temps with lights on mid-to high 70's, lights off low to mid 60's.

Started with good ol' bag seed. Using a 50/50 mix of perlite, vermiculite.
120z styrofoam cups to start, transplnted to plastic soda bottles week 2veg. Using passive reservoir system. Holes cut in bottom of bottles, set directly in nutrient mixture.

Damn near killed them from the start. I was using tap water, and miracle grow....yeah, I know.....they looked like hell, flushed with distilled water, and have been using that or rain water only since. No more miracle grow.

I am using General Hydroponics Maxi-Grow for veg, Maxi-Bloom for bloom.
I only keep about an inch or two of nutrient in reservoir at a time.

Plants were vegged for 4 weeks, reaching 12" or so, 24 light schedule.
Switched directly to 12/12, plants at week 5 of bloom are between 3-31/2 foot. As you can tell have done no topping, pruning, or clipping of any kind.

I obviously have several issues, which I will address next grow, but I would appreciate your thoughts. For what I have put into it, and the fact that I stressed the hell out of them, and damn near killed them, I am quite pleased. I hope to harvest, and regen my best two plants, and take clones from them.

I am still up in the air whether I will flush before harvest, and I need to study more on regenerating my best 2 girls. Would appreciate your thoughts.

Anyway, all this was done for about $100 including nutes. Most items were found at second hand store, my closet or garage sales.....CFL's were about the only new item bought.

Thank you to RIU for the valuable threads, wish I had read more before I started.

Whats the pH of the water youre using, and have you ever tested the pH of the run off from the bottom.

next time get rid some of those lower shoots (may as well clone them) then the plants energy will be put into makig the top buds fatter and you will have less pop-corn nuggs at the bottom. half of the time once dried they wont even be worth smoking, specially compared to masive top colas you will get with succesfull pruning!
Grade

p.s don't know if duck tape would be the best thing to use round the pots the glue might be toxic, specially with the heat....... looks pretty good tho geeze!
Grade

Thanks Grade. Yep, those are definately issues. Had not thought about the duct tape, you right. Future investment will include better pots. And I wish like hell I had trimmed those lower shoots earlier. Ya Live, ya learn.

Jonus, to be honest I have not tested my ph since first going to bloom. I had to borrow a tester from a friend back then. I only test it that once, I know, another issue! Yes, I need to invest in a ph test kit. I believe it was around 6.5 then if I remember correctly though.