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:
Don’t it look grand? Here is a close-up:
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.
28 May 2007 at 4:33 pm
Bubbles should go away in a day or so. By the way, have you heard of fishless cycling? It takes a bit longer (three weeks for me) but I was so glad I found that page before I ended up killing any critters.
28 May 2007 at 8:40 pm
I hadn’t. And now, even before I begin, I am a bad fish-mummy.
Thanks for the link, however I’ve already promised Ariel that we will get fish on Wednesday so there is *no chance* we can do fishless cycling now. OK, even *apart* from her it was only by force of will that I can make myself wait until then. Bad, selfish fish-mummy.
😦
28 May 2007 at 8:54 pm
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