welcom to the farm ecrek9,
firstly i wish you good luck with your first grow. now about your question, there are a million questions and answers i wanted to learn when i first started and my answer to you as a slightly more experienced grower(14 yrs and still learning) is to think how much can i spend on equipment ie lights filters etc
how many plants can i get into my space without cramming them in. i give mine 1mtr sq each plant. then read through the many many posts people like yourself have been asking,
ive no doubt someone has asked most if not all mthe questions you have.i hope this helps you out.
happy growing TS1:character0201: