No you're pretty much spot on. I had an incredible bubbler with two bowls once, too bad it slipped and broke. Anyway, something isn't correct about whoever made your piece. DONT use it, just bring it back and show the shop you picked it up at. There should be a glass tube coming from bottom of the bowl about halfway into the correct water level. Sorry man, hope is wasn't expensive. Down here bubblers are around 60 dollars. You should be stoned right now, not wondering why something isn't working.