Jon Lazar

Looks like this build is really developing nicely. Great idea on creating a cardboard mock-up of the tank to ensure you can get it into place! I like the extra deep tank dimension, and how you're exploiting that depth. A different side view is also a great feature. I like the rock layout from the top and your approach of graphing it out is excellent. For every top view, I would also draw a corresponding front view since that's what you'll actually see 99% of the time. IMO, following the rule of thirds will create a very pleasing layout. I also suspect that the front-right bommie will feel overwhelming because it's so large and so close.

I did this with my empty 800# tank in our dining room. The hardest part was rolling it up from the bare subfloor (lower) onto the new hardwood floor (higher). In your case, you can always temporarily pump water out of the rubbermaid and into a different container, to make moving the rubbermaid easier.

If your DI is exhausted it can release ammonia.

Another option is to run new circuits from your breaker box. You've got an HVAC soffit right above the breaker box. It will be (relatively) easy to run the wires through the soffit to the tank wall.

Muriatic acid (pool acid) makes quick work of it, but the acid is nasty stuff and can give off caustic fumes when you add it to water. I also use it to clean pumps and other things that get crusty.

Here's another variation on the theme. I'm guessing the room is on the ground elevation. What about adding an exterior door from the tank room to outside? That would create a "mother-in-law suite", which might increase your house value. At least that's how I would pitch it! Not sure if a walk-out door makes sense without knowing your home's plan view.

I meant that if you can create a new entryway into the room, it doesn't matter if you block the original doorway.

Some utility closets have a lot of extra space. What about creating an entryway to the fish room via the utility room and closet?

If you're thinking about a used Vectra, make sure you get a version 2. The version 1 pumps have a design problem with too little water flow around the impeller. They can overheat to the point where the plastic melts, which creates buildups that make the impeller stall. I've got two L1s and I like them, apart from melting on me. They're very quiet.

It's neat to see an innovative approach, but I'd be worried that a fountain pump isn't robust enough to serve as a reliable return pump over the long haul. It's possible to achieve a silent system with a larger pump. Silence was an important design requirement for our build, so I used modern, quiet pumps to deliver significant flow with no water sounds. Two Vectra L1 closed loop pumps provide lots of flow but are completely silent. I have to look to tell whether the pumps are on. And I haven't enclosed the stand yet so the pumps are exposed.

Congrats on getting your new tank greenlighted, and kudos for planning things out in advance! Do you have a fish list in mind yet? Also, I would reconsider a controller. The ability to do conditions-based controlling and email alerts alone is worth it. You can buy a used controller, display, temp probe, and outlet bar for under $300. For example, there's a used Aquacontroller 3 brain for sale right now for $75. (I'm still using an Aquacontroller 2 on one of my tanks.)

Welcome! WAMAS is a pretty active community with members from Frederick to Fredericksburg. You'll get lots of help both online and in person. I think there's a meeting coming up in a few weeks too.

I would plan the return pump to provide something like 3-5x turnover from display to sump. There's no need to achieve 30x turnover using a return pump. If you want lots of in-tank flow, use your preferred brand of propeller-based powerheads, like the EcoTech MP series. You could also go with a closed loop, but most people prefer modern powerheads over closed loops.

I don't think it matters to the sump if one return carries more water than the other. How are your overflows configured? One in each corner? Have you decided how you're going to plumb those? (i.e., Durso, Herbie, or Bean Animal?) I ask because the Bean Animal is the best setup IMO, but works best with a single overflow.

I'd avoid an odd-shaped tank if possible. I'd definitely want a deep sink in the tank room. If you can tie it into the kitchenette drain and vent lines, that would be best. But I'd still install a sink even if it means tearing up the floor. While you're at it you can add a floor drain. You mentioned changing the door to a pocket door, or changing it to open out. You could also move the hinges to the opposite jamb if that helps. Is there a second entrance into the tank room, or is that door a closet? You could also remove the kitchen bar and put the tank there. You could move the walls into the viewing room so that it's still an in-wall tank. That wouldn't be my first choice, but it's an option.

I would never add a coral known to carry monti nudis to my display tank. If I didn't have a dedicated QT, I would throw the coral away. I suppose if it was a small and expensive frag and I could entirely cover the bottom and the edge in superglue, I might consider it if I had no other montiporas in the DT. They're nasty little fellers and very difficult to eradicate. They tend to roam around your tank, so if you keep your montis in the DT but remove them for dipping, your dip will miss killing any roaming adults. Good luck!

I would add an airstone. You'll get a lot of additional oxygenation that way. If you have an in-tank powerhead, try placing the airstone below the pump's intake. It will turn your tank into a protein skimmer and really boost the oxygen.

I would start copper immediately while you try to find chloroquine phosphate. Copper power is my personal favorite.

I used a heavy duty silicone adhesive to fix portions of my tank. After lots of research, I selected Momentive RTV 108. It's much stronger than the GE silicone you buy at Home Depot. Not so important if you're just touching up the cosmetic parts, but I'd use the RTV 108 if you reseal a panel.

There are two factors here you can try to control to improve the pictures. First, eliminate all sources of light in the room. TV, lamps, windows, etc. Obviously you can't turn off the tank lights, but they're also a source of extra light. If the light fixture spills light everywhere, that will also disrupt your pictures. Second, remove objects in the room that will be illuminated by any remaining stray light, and therefore be visible in the reflection. If you're standing in front of the tank with a camera, wear dark clothes. Using a tripod is even better. If there are drapes on the wall opposite the tank, draw them closed to create a uniform background.

I always recommend a canvas drop cloth for painting. They last forever and have a thousand uses. Ok, maybe a hundred. Anyway, they're much easier to use than the thin plastic sheets and stay in place better. Easier to use means more likely to use (for me at least).

Why don't you do it now then with your current tank? Consider it a practice for your forever tank.

The pipe needs to be seated all the way in the socket to get a permanent seal. Yours is only 2/3 of the way in. Even for an unpressurized drain line, the pipes in our aquariums are frequently bumped and subjected to vibration. I'd be concerned that the pieces will separate over time. It probably won't, but it will cause a lot of damage to your residence. Unless the fitting is somewhere where a leak doesn't matter, like inside the sump, I think it's foolish to take the risk.

https://www.dkhardware.com/amerock-cm2606bb-product-3137671.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1MW_pZzY5QIVJIVaBR3VCAK9EAQYAyABEgLPK_D_BwE

It's a knife hinge. Here's a link to one that looks similar, but you'd have to look at the details to see if it's an exact fit.