how many cfls per plant in flowering

I have a 3'w X 1'd X 3'h cab with 5 plants about 7 weeks old flipped to 12/12 about a week ago n just started showing signs of flower. I have 3 fans and ( 2" holes on back of unit. Temps still reading about 93 degrees with doors shut. I have 8- 23w cfls in 8" reflectors with y splitters. Could I reduce the number of cfls to lower the temp?? Any ideas to help a newb out???

Don't wanna reduce the number of CFL's in flower....Quite the opposite, you want to increase the amount of light they recieve in flower. How do you have your fans set up, 2" intake holes are tiny, you might not be exchanging the air in the cab frequently enough to bring it close to ambient temp. Need more info.

But no, more CFL's, not less.

What size holes would u recommend?? I have a fan above the lights, one at top of canopy and one near the bottom.. all are about 4" fans. Can't seem to fit bigger fans in my cab.. thinking I should make my holes bigger.... hmmm but how big??

as many CFLs as you can fit and afford around your plants during flowering.

Hey, you need an extraction fan pulling air out of your cab near the top, and the intake holes don't need a fan if the extraction fan is powerful enough, but they need to be at least an inch or two larger in diameter than your extraction fan holes.

Shoot for around 100 watts per plant. 50 is ok for a 1 foot plant if that is all you have. 200 is not too much per plant.

Each one of those reflectors with 2 lights could flower a foot tall plant. More would be better. The large 10 inch reflectors work better as they capture the light off the ends of the bulbs, but not a big deal you already have them. y splitter with a clamp reflector is the best way to get the most light out of cfl's.

The reflectors trap a good amount of heat and that is why many do not use them. Get the airflow up or put a fan on the canopy to reduce heat buildup. If your canopy gets too hot the gain in light is no use.

You can hang cfls vertically in between plants, not overhead, to give plants added light down below. Circle the plants around them. You want those cfls close as the plant can take it. I take them to within 1 inch during flower and that is with a 55 watt tube.

you dont have enough light, you NEED more cfl. get 42watts. or 63watts. those 23watts are so small. and drop your temps to at least 80. 93 is too hot. can you open the closet door and let a box fan run during the day? or maybe lower the AC in your house so it lowers the temps in your room?