Fish Tank Delivery Day At The Littlefish Household

12:15 Is it there yet........ is it there yet......... is it there yet

Drill and jigsaw are fully charged for cutting holes in the cabinets. Yes, I've ordered tanks that are going to be such a tight fit that I'm going to have to cut holes for the plug sockets, otherwise there is a strong possibility that the cabinets won't fit in the space.
I originally ordered a 1.2m tank, then when it was delivered into the space I realised I could probably get away with the 1.5m tanks, and moved the 1.2 to the spare room.
If it all goes horribly wrong (slim chance, but still a chance), then the 1.2m tank will have to move back into the living room and the 2 x 1.5m tanks will have to go into the spare room.
Excited and nervous in equal measure - if the tanks don't fit I expect to be thoroughly ridiculed (for being a girl and totally unable to measure anything accurately) the next time I visit the store. 

So far so good.
More room than I thought, so no need to cut holes in the cabinets. 

Well done 

I'll bet it's such a relief that you finally have them installed 

That happened with my 180 litre, there was a sticker saying not to fill until a couple of days after I got it. It was delivered by the company that made my tank and they told me to put a few inches in the first day I was allowed, then half fill it next day and if everything was OK I could fill it properly on the third day. It took a lot of patience to wait that long 

Oooerr @Littlefish What a lovely pair!
Is it too late to mention the backgrounds, if you intend to use any they are a lot easier before the tanks are in place. Painting with acrylic paint is also good - it comes off really easily if you change your mind.
I saw how close one of the legs was to the hearth surround was that luck or judgement?

Oooerr @Littlefish What a lovely pair!

As for the backgrounds, the top slides off the tank easily, and the cabinet doesn't cover the tank at the back, so I can still put the background on without taking the tanks off the cabinets. They are easier to slide (with much effort) than lift (even with 2 people), so I should be able to manage even if I do have to wait until the end of the week when I have some help.
I had measured the space, and thought the fit would be tighter than it is. There is enough space between the side of the tank and the wall for me to get my arm in and unplug the extension cable. So, more luck than judgement really.
As I can't set up my tanks tomorrow I will spend most of the day rearranging furniture to make the most of the limited space I have left in the room.
Updates and pics to follow as soon as I'm allowed to put water in the tanks. 

As a side note, I admit to talking to my gang, but it was quite funny today when one of the delivery guys nudged the lid to one of the axolotl tanks (he didn't have much room in his defence) and immediately apologised to them. When he came back in after getting some more bits from the van I pointed to the axolotl (standing on his hind legs with his front feet up against the glass) and said he thought he was going to get fed when he heard the tank lid move. MA guy said "sorry to disappoint you little fella" to the axie. @fcmf  we are not the only ones who talk the aquatic housemates. 

The tank by the patio doors is to house all 6 axolotls (currently in the 2 x 200L tanks on the floor). They all matured into males, which was lucky, but I'll have to be careful introducing both groups to each other. I'll probably use a divider in the tank for a while, just to be on the safe side.
The tank on the right I plan to turn into a river tank, which will eventually (some time after Easter when the tank is more mature) house a group of reticulated hillstream loaches (sewelia lineolata) which I've liked for a long time. It will probably also contain things like bulldog plecs and perhaps some larger danios, anything that likes sub-tropical temperatures and a lots of water movement. I have a list, but haven't narrowed it down yet. 
If all axolotls get on well then the 2 x 200L tanks will then be used for other things, one planned for mudskippers, the other for upgrading my bristlenose plec and blue-eyed ancistrus to a more comfortable tank, and possibly get some rainbow fish or something quite calm & pretty to occupy the rest of the tank.
That currently leaves me with an empty 1.2M tank in the spare room (possibly African humphead cichlids & some compatible fish), plus whatever space I can free up now that I've emptied 2 of the large bookcases in that room.
I can't fill the tanks yet as the silicone is still curing, so I have a while to stick on the backgrounds (which I have here) and make sure I've got enough plants, substrate, decor, etc. Just need at least one of the gang to come over and help me to slide the cabinet/tank away from the wall so I can reach. 
No time for Christmas, too much fish stuff to do!. 

I also have a soft spot for hillstream loaches, and have spent many an hour researching their needs and designing tanks for them... alas I don't think another tank is on the cards in my household... 

At best I think I might be able to stretch to an unfiltered shrimp bowl, something else I've researched many a time before and also thought up many excuses to try and convince my wife as to why its a good idea!

Those Aqua Oak tanks look amazing.  :O  I had my eye on one of those (assuming it's the limited edition 'Doors' aquarium) with the sump but the salesman at MA told me they don't do a pipework kit and only do the weir in the middle.   I think their advice wasn't correct regarding the sump.  Pipework would have been easy enough to get elsewhere.

For a tropical tank without sump it would have been hands down one of those.  Where's the jealous emoticon?