here is another photo of the seedlings

Hi kjk66ss,

Welcome to our GW.

It may be due to the lack of enough lights to your seedlings. If you use grow lights it would be helpful if you lower down a bit. It is just my opinion.

Your seedlings are really leggy. May be you can do something when you transfer to another pots.

I am also a new gardener. We have so many seasoned gardeners probably they can help you, just wait.

Good luck

New container gardener,

Caelian

lights are to high, and the plants are very leggy.

put a fan on them on low
either raise the plants closer to the light, or lower the light down closer to the plants.

you will definitely need to move them into bigger cups.
I usually go jiffy pellets > small punch plastic cups > Solo red cups > Potters if needed before outside in the dirt or containers

Yes, as the others said, bring the lights down.
I assume the lights are CFL's, so you'll want them no more than 4-inches from the plants, in my experience. When my seedlings are small, I keep the lights 1-inch above the seedlings.

Once the seedlings do develop some sets of true leaves, then you can bury the long
stems all the way to the cotyledons (the first set of seed leaves). All should be well.

Josh

I wouldn't move them until you get a set of true leaves at the earliest. It will take a while for them to get root bound even in those little cups.

Overall, quite a nice healthy looking crop. Welcome to GW pepper maniacs hangout. We're sick. We know it. We like it.

Thanks everyone for following up with my concerns!
What causes the plants to be "leggy"? just from searching for distant light?

i just raised them up closer to the light and will see how they do.

In the mean time if anyone has any other recommendations or Advice for a beginner i would appreciate it.

Thanks again!

i should also mention that the light is a T5 that i just picked up. i dont know much about lights for growing plants,so hopfully the light i bought is decent.

What lamp (bulb) do you have in it?

6400kw 2280 lumens, low heat,24w floresent bulb by hydrogrow

Is the 6400KW really supposed to be 6500K? That is the spectrum of light that it puts out which is ideal for your peppers. The T5's should be fine. Just get them down within an inch of the plants. Definitely, they are leggy due to "Searching for light". You have to bring the light to them or they grow to the light. I suggest about 16 hours of light a day. I wouldn't worry about repotting them until you get some true leaves as others have said. I assume your weather is good enough in LA to get them outside pretty soon so I would probably repot them up to 3.5 to 4" containers. Then get them outside when the weather permits.
Bruce

What others have said, move your lights closer. 2, maybe 3 inches max above the tops.

Once they get a set of true leaves OR they fall over, re-pot them deep so only 1/4 - 1/3 inch of stem is above soil. Again, keep the light 2 - 3 inches above the plants.

Bill