Ok... so today had mixed results in regards to my tank:
1) Purchased about 60lbs of dry rock from a local BRS member; actually only a mile or two away. Some nice shelf pieces. Now time to play around with a mock tank.
2) The 40B won't fit in the AGA stand without removing at least one brace, which I'm loathe to do. This stand worries me already, I don't really want to be removing and re-adding structural pieces. Even if I COULD get the brace off and back on I would have only 3-4 inches around the sump to do anything. I'd never be able to add/remove anything from the sump.
Looks like my options are a) get a smaller sump, b) get a bigger stand, or c) plumb things into the basement.
I like option C the best for many reasons:
- Where the plumbing would go is near where some rough-in stuff is in the basement for a shower/bathroom if we ever finished the basement. I imagine with some research/assistance/cash for a plumber it would be relatively easy to hook up a RODI in/out, etc.
- It's the basement, would keep the sump cooler in the summer
- It's the basement, I wouldn't have to hear/see all the "mess" in my office
- There is a window/slider in the basement making getting the dirty water out to the yard/woods easier; no trudging through the house with buckets
- Lots of room for the 40B and whatever else in the basement
The main issues with doing this are:
- wife doesn't want me drilling holes in the floor
- cutting some drywall out and going down through the wall is an option, but there's some I'd have to be very careful to avoid (existing water/electric, ac vents, etc.)
- all the extra plumbing to get from the tank to the basement, 3-4 down, ~10 ft across, then another 5-6 down maybe.
- no electrical outlets in this section of the basement, I'd have to run a new line or extend off the basement light circuit
The office walls have fancy mouldings (boxes) and a chair rail (?) ... I was thinking I could pull the trim from one "box", cut a "door" out of the wall, drill the holes, etc etc. when it came time to put it back I'd just replace/redo the box.
*sigh* Getting my tank running has just been delayed...