Yeah, when it comes to total light output and proper plant-growing spectra, these are as good as it gets. SHO (super high output) CFL bulbs are the only thing really better but they're basically spiral CFL bulbs that are 10" long and 4" wide - not real space friendly. Studies have also shown that these LEDs inhibit algae and cyanobacteria growth because of the very precise wavelengths of light they produce. I'm really excited.

Can you post a picture? It could be any number of things but more than likely it's a nutrient deficiency. Having a picture of the exact damage might be able to tell us what nutrient it is.
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Lost a betta and an albino corey today. Polk (the betta) had been doing poorly since he got his tail chewed down so that wasn't a surprise but the corey showed no symptoms or anything. Water parameters are within acceptable limits and the other fish are doing fine. Did a 25% water change and hoping it was just a fluke they died at the same time.
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Getting started on my project to re-build the case for my stand. Don't like the black, trying to build a red mahogany 'shell' for it; kinda excited about it.

I'll get some before/after pictures up here sooner or later, but I've been thinking about making this thing for a couple of months and I'm just now to the 'raw lumber' stage, so it may never actually get done.
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That sucks. Sorry for your loss, Smitty. :-) I just had a similar situation... lost a Silver Tip Tetra and Bamboo Shrimp today. Parameters fine, no sign of disease.
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Flushed my first fish yesterday. A pink Neon had a large hump on it's back, was laying around on the bottom and had an eye bugging out.

Any ideas?


I figure it's pretty good to have it take this long to kill the first one off.
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Bacterial infection most likely. Keep an eye on your other fish and make sure they don't get it.

Or you could use Melafix as a preventative. It's not as strong as real antibiotics but is far less destructive to your overall tank health.
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We've had REAL bad luck with Shrimp, bamboo and ghost. They don't show any symptoms, they just die suddenly.
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I don't have any Ghost, but the lifespan of my Bamboo Shrimp seems awfully short to me. That was the 3rd one that I've lost and I just got it about 3 months ago. The other 2 lasted about 6 months. I have 1 left in my tank, but it's MIA. That one likes to hide a lot though, so it's probably still alive. I'm doing a thorough search for it tonight.

I also have a colony of Red Cherry Shrimp. They're in my 5 gal and doing really well and breeding like crazy! There have been no casualties yet w/ the RCS, eh, aside from the 6 I shipped to a friend... DOH! Never doing that again.
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Couple months difference..




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DAMN! The coloring is really vivid now! Especially the blue on the face. Very nice!
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Thanks. He's getting there. Should get about 4" long eventually. (that's what she said)....
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:-) What other fish do you have housed w/ him?
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I hate you people. Out of sheer boredom I opened this thread around midnight last night. I haven't had an aquarium since I was about 14 and bred fancy tail guppies and lyretail mollies to sell back to my local pet store. This is all your fault.



Now my dumb ass has to figure out how to get a better lighting system as I'm sure these plants will die under this single included 17w bulb. Never did plants as a kid (beyond the occasional floater to stick in the corner for the babies).

Any recommendations for fixtures/bulbs? 36G 30" front bowed.
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Right now in my tank, I have 2 peacock cichlids (He's a sunshine peacock), a yellow lab 3.5", a Jack Dempsey 6", 2 angel fish 3", a Pleco 6", a 2 cory cats.

Happy tank...
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Here's mine, although the kids seem to have lost interest as they get older. I just listed it on Craigslist :-) It used to be my and my son's "thing" but he's 15 now and doesn't have time for this particular hobby anymore.

















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