The tank successfully completed the leak test, and I’ve now set it up on its new championship stand, complete with heaters, filter, light, gravel, fake background and bogwood:

Aquarium set up

Don’t it look grand? Here is a close-up:

Set up - closer

The observant among you will notice five intrusions onto the perfection of this moment.

One. The bogwood is currently being weighed down by a large rock. This is because it has not (yet) soaked in water for long enough to stay at the bottom of its own accord. With a bit of luck, the rock will soon become unnecessary.

Two. The gravel is sort of not very even. I could pretend that this was deliberate, designed to create interest for bottom-dwelling fish or something. The truth is that it just kind of ended up that way after I tipped in numerous of gallons of water. This whole “pour it into a bowl placed on the gravel, so that it spills over the sides and fills the tank without disturbing the gravel” malarkey is a bit of a sop, methinks. Either that, or you are supposed to pour it a bit more gently than I can personally manage with a heffalumping great bucket load weighing me down. Ho hum.

Three. Everything is covered in little bubbles. I am assured that this is perfectly normal and only temporary. I hope that that isn’t a sop, too.

Four. I still haven’t managed to get the sticky bits off the front where the old thermometer was stuck on (measuring in Farenheit, in this day and age). I will tackle that later on, now that Ariel has got to bed and I can use chemicals in peace.

Five. I just can’t make the filter stay vertical, it keeps drifting slightly clockwise. I think this may be because the water outlet is pointed to one side and pushes it off straight a bit. As I think I may already have said – ho-hum.