OK, so it works. Good on you. This will as a side effect show you that your sensor isn't as clean as you thought
By looking at your setup, it is obvious more extension would improve the final result because you improve the relationship of conjugate distances to become more "normal" seen from the perspective of the lens.
Don't stop the lens much down if at all, and be aware of sources for stray light. Illuminating the scene with a flash is usually a good starting point for nice photomacrographs. In fact, studio flashes can be ideal because they are "large" light sources.