Moving right along

So some time back in June, I managed to con Mister C into letting me get another fish tank. I promised I would finish painting the family room in a timely manner and then get the tank. Not long after that, I went out "Just to price out new tanks" and ended up with a new one later that afternoon. Because that's how it works around here.

It sat, wrapped in cardboard and plastic, for a few weeks before we went on vacation. The family room didn't get painted before we went on vacation. When we got back from vacation I finally got around to painting the ceilings in the family room & kitchen and swore I would get right to painting the walls. But between taking Master J to swim lessons every day, running around getting him registered for school and a sudden influx of real estate work, that didn't happen either.

Two days ago I finally started painting the family room. I managed to wash the baseboards and tape off the whole room and even painted one wall.

Yesterday I painted the other two walls in the room, as well as one wall in the kitchen. When I was done, I got my fish tank set exactly where I wanted it and filled it almost full to make sure I didn't have any leaks. As of this morning, I didn't.

Today, I tried to set up my brand new filter in the cabinet under my brand new tank. It didn't fit. It was too tall. What the hell? How can they sell an aquarium stand that won't hold the filter for the fish tank? So I improvised. I emptied the water out of the tank, giving my trees some extra rations this week. Then I moved it another two inches away from the wall so the filter could sit behind it. It worked like a charm.

Feeling rather pleased with the solution of my problem, I went about getting the filter set up in the tank and getting it going. I've had this type of filter on my original tank for about eight years now and I know they can be a bit cranky to start the first time (or any time you take it apart and reassemble it for that matter.) After pitching several fits and cursing loudly, I still couldn't get it going. Until, it finally, sort of, started sucking water. But it just couldn't seem to get going very well. I felt the hoses to make sure water was flowing in both intake and output. The intake definitely had flow, the hose with the output didn't though. I followed it up from the bottom towards the top of the tank, and that is when I noticed that the stupid hose had a leak. After calling around to several stores that either don't carry the hose or have it for too much money, I realize I'm going to have to call the company directly and hopefully they'll just ship me a new one. Which means I have to wait at least a few more days before I can get my tank going. And that doesn't make me feel all peaceful and happy like an aquarium should.