hurtmypony
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Chapter Five: For Those About To Rock, We Refute You.
Saul Bellow: “A fool can throw a stone in a pond that 100 wise men cannot get out.”
If a year ago, Future Me, having somehow mastered time travel, arrived at my doorstep to prophesize that in one year’s time, I would be anxiously pacing the hall and compulsively peering out the window in anticipation of the arrival of a fake rock, I would have called him a fraud, hit him in the face with a shovel and looked in the bushes for Ashton Kutcher.
But, last Monday there I was, fulfilling destiny, staring down the cul-de-sac around the time the UPS guy usually hits our neighborhood.
I hate you, Future Me. You are a know-it-all. And you are getting fat.
The rock arrived in a box far too small for it, as the outermost piece of it had breached the cardboard. There was no damage to the finish, though, and it was just how it looks on the website. It is approximately 31 inches long, 15 inches high and about 8 inches thick – a perfect size to take up most of the decorating room in my 55 gallon. A few facts, in case anyone is interested in these:
1. It is completely flexible, but it doesn’t retain the shape into which you bend it. My tank had water and substrate in it, and while it was incredibly easy to get in the tank, it was difficult to maneuver into perfect position. One side would pop out of the sand while I fiddled with the other. I was thrashing around and splashing water on the walls like an angler wrestling a bass into a boat (exaggeration!).
2. It also wasn’t perfectly planar along the back, so though it is designed to rest flat against the back of the tank, one end will always keel away from the glass. This could probably be remedied by placing something heavy on it for a couple of days, but I was too excited to do things properly.
3. It is perfectly weighted – light enough to move around easily, but heavy enough to sink immediately.
I would probably be better off draining the tank and adhering it to the glass with silicon, but I kind of like it loose so I can clean behind it. Plus, the side that careens away from the glass is in the far corner and is also obscured by a plant, so nothing is lost aesthetically.
Anyway, while I am 100% satisfied with the look of it, I hope is serves its function well. It has lots of holes for the Mbuna to enjoy, but its hollow, so all holes lead to a giant cavern. I hope this doesn’t detract from the feeling of security or result in nastier turf wars.
Here’s a picture, taken after the sand settled from my endeavors. (Note the position of the Koralia, standing in direct defiance of Reel Addiction's perfectly sound advice):
Saul Bellow: “A fool can throw a stone in a pond that 100 wise men cannot get out.”
If a year ago, Future Me, having somehow mastered time travel, arrived at my doorstep to prophesize that in one year’s time, I would be anxiously pacing the hall and compulsively peering out the window in anticipation of the arrival of a fake rock, I would have called him a fraud, hit him in the face with a shovel and looked in the bushes for Ashton Kutcher.
But, last Monday there I was, fulfilling destiny, staring down the cul-de-sac around the time the UPS guy usually hits our neighborhood.
I hate you, Future Me. You are a know-it-all. And you are getting fat.
The rock arrived in a box far too small for it, as the outermost piece of it had breached the cardboard. There was no damage to the finish, though, and it was just how it looks on the website. It is approximately 31 inches long, 15 inches high and about 8 inches thick – a perfect size to take up most of the decorating room in my 55 gallon. A few facts, in case anyone is interested in these:
1. It is completely flexible, but it doesn’t retain the shape into which you bend it. My tank had water and substrate in it, and while it was incredibly easy to get in the tank, it was difficult to maneuver into perfect position. One side would pop out of the sand while I fiddled with the other. I was thrashing around and splashing water on the walls like an angler wrestling a bass into a boat (exaggeration!).
2. It also wasn’t perfectly planar along the back, so though it is designed to rest flat against the back of the tank, one end will always keel away from the glass. This could probably be remedied by placing something heavy on it for a couple of days, but I was too excited to do things properly.
3. It is perfectly weighted – light enough to move around easily, but heavy enough to sink immediately.
I would probably be better off draining the tank and adhering it to the glass with silicon, but I kind of like it loose so I can clean behind it. Plus, the side that careens away from the glass is in the far corner and is also obscured by a plant, so nothing is lost aesthetically.
Anyway, while I am 100% satisfied with the look of it, I hope is serves its function well. It has lots of holes for the Mbuna to enjoy, but its hollow, so all holes lead to a giant cavern. I hope this doesn’t detract from the feeling of security or result in nastier turf wars.
Here’s a picture, taken after the sand settled from my endeavors. (Note the position of the Koralia, standing in direct defiance of Reel Addiction's perfectly sound advice):
