10 Gallon Setup

I was more excited than would be reasonable to trade $20 for my a 10-gallon tank with a co-worker who posted in the classifieds. Of course, I had to set it up so that it could start cycling while I was on vacation, so I decided to do it on the cheap again since my 5-gallon is doing well enough. My photo diary follows:


Putting the dirt down; I don't think this was the organic stuff, so it probably has a lot more fertilizers in it (could be a bad or a good thing)


I drilled a few more holes in my makeshift sieve in order to expedite the process; it was still incredibly boring


Adding a fairly robust layer of gravel


Comparative thickness of the layers


In position next to the sink


Adding the water without muddying it up


The plate quickly ceased being useful


The rubber bulb gasket just barely accepted the two 14 watt CF bulbs I used over Christmas


All set up with the complimentary decoration and some driftwood