The incandescents are for when you are growing without any sunlight. I was in a basement. With your bay window and fluorescent you should be fine. You don't say how close the shelves are to each other. Usually they are much to closely spaced. People end up removing every other shelf to get more space inbetween. And just so you know, 60W inc. are just a little too hot for a shelf setup. 40W would be about ideal. They are hard to find these days. I am told it can be done but most stores I see start at 60W and up. In that setup I described the lights were 29" above the floor but most of the collection was 18" off the floor on storage tubs so they were much closer to the lights than you think. The incs. were staggered so as not to be directly above anything tender. Some things like cactus and succulent types love it under incs but most orchids do not. H

I wish I'd seen this forum earlier. Poor guy. First of all, it may have been the 100% water changes that killed him. Stark fresh water can be difficult for fish to live in. believe it or not, old water is healthier, provided it's clean, than fresh water from the tap. The trick is to do PARTIAL water changes, not 100% ones. I highly suggest never doing a 100% water change. You might also think about it from this point of view; temperature changes of more than 1 degree can put a fish in shock and stress it out, which makes it more likely to get a disease in the first place. (Aside from potentially dying from the shock.) The water temperatures need to be exactly the same before you transfer your fish to new water. Someone should have advised Ezzy not to do a 100% water change like that. Wish I saw this thread earlier. Also, gravel is a must. It seems that the tank/bowl did not have any substrate at all. This is a bad thing because a substrate is needed for helpful bacteria to grow. The kind that break down waste and thusly help control the ammonia and nitrate/nitrite levels. To anyone who reads this, gravel, pebbles, sand, or the beta-hobby-popular glass/plastic beads MUST be at the bottom of the tank for there to be a natural cycle within it. Also, I can't believe someone would take a fish which is very practically named "Siamese Fighting Fish" and put them next to each other. I could tell by that comment alone that Ezzy is extremely new to fish keeping. It's common knowledge that putting 2 betas together like that would stress them out. A person should be able to sense that they aren't really "friends." (I suppose they're as good of friends as an Oscar and a goldfish. The Oscar loves the goldfish, for his part.) And, yes, even in separate tanks, if they see each other they'll be going crazy trying to get the fish in the tank next to them. Very simple thing to avoid and it's common knowledge. Even the people at Petsmart will tell you to let a new tank run a couple of weeks with no fish in it before introducing a catfish or another hardy fish. They will also tell you to float the fish in it's bag of water IN the tank for at least 15 minutes to allow the water to gradually equalize with the tank and prevent shock in the fish. Furthermore, most Petsmart employees know that Betas will fight each other and that putting 2 bowls close together is not something that should happen long-term. These are simple rules that all fish keepers need to know and it appears that Ezzy wasn't aware of them. I hope this helps someone who is trying to care for an ill fish, because you can contribute to its demise if you stress it out too much. Always be aware of the effect YOU have on the tank/bowl, and don't get tunnel vision trying to remove the disease at the cost of your pet's life.

Lamp value has to do with the materials, design and surfaces and sometimes the maker. It depends on what the body is made from -- how valuable that material and fabrication might be. There are manufacturers like Circa lighting and Arteriors known for high quality (well made and finished) lamps and there are loads of contemporary/industrial lamp designers. Often, the cost is related to materials or the intricacy of the lamp's construction or licensing -- i.e. a designer's name used by a manufacturer. You pay extra, say for Philippe Starck's Miss K lamp due to the designer. Mainly the value lies in what the body is made of how well the lamp is constructed and wired. Lamps that are artisanal --i.e. hand made -- can be expensive, especially if they are older or antique. F.ex. there were tons of gorgeous lamps made in France before & after WWII by artists who worked in various materials. Some materials -- like real bronze that's cast and is a living finish -- are rare in lamps today. The famous sculptor Giacometti had a brother, Diego, who made bronze lamps and coffee tables during the 1950s which are works of art. Those go for a fortune, obviously. During the mid-20th century lamps were fashionable and many artists and sculptors made them. You see those getting big prices due to scarcity value if they are in good condition. But otherwise, I don't see why anyone would pay a huge price for a new lamp unless it has an unusual design or it's a special material. I buy lamps at local auctions and house sales because they go for very little and can be wonderful. But pretty much all my lamps are antique Chinese ginger jars which I've bought separately and had mounted. For me, those are "good," as opposed to a lamp with some type of simulated finish. Shades can be very expensive and add to the value. There's a woman in Italy who makes crazy cool custom shades - Paola Napoleone. Older English lamp shades are so much fun with very eccentric shapes and ball fringe. Shades can be custom as well or even made to match. I have both silk and parchment. I now only use LED bulbs in my lamps because those don't get hot and that prolongs the life of shades dramatically.

I can't say I have that problem with getting focus. The table model I have has the light and magnification on the same arm and I just look through the lens exactly where I position it. It is easy to position because it's hinged at the base of the arm near the lamp column and again at the lamp/lens. Are you sure a floor lamp is your best choice, Donna? Besides putting the light exactly where the focal point is, I can spread my work out on the table and not have the weight of it on me and be able to move parts of it easily. In addition to using it for handwork, I frequently set it up behind my machine for extra light. My husband liked it so well I had to order him one without the magnifying lens and with a more decor-like finish for his reading chair. I put a link to what Amazon is showing but my light is an off white. Here is a link that might be useful: table model with light and lens in the same place