Sorry for the late response, I'm officially the worst thread host ever.
Brief update ...
Got the new tank in, cabinets installed, custom light fixture hung with motorized raise/lower mechanism, plumbed it up, got everything going real sweet. Cycled great, stocked with bunch'o fish and corals, everything thriving and happy. Literally going to start my new thread when one night, I heard something funny at the tank. Checked it out and there was leak at a seam about 1/3 up from the bottom. FU*&!!!!!!!!!!!
So I drained the tank down to below the leak, tore down the aquascape so all the corals would be submerged and hooked up a couple power heads for circulation. Next morning, my man John from Capital Aquariums came over and we emptied the entire tank. I put the corals in my office tank (which is doing better) and John took my fish and live rock. We pulled out all the sand, cleaned it and stored it in a trash can but my f'ing cats thought it was a litter box and used it as such. Sand gone.
We had to tear out all the cabinetry so they could pick up the tank. It has been repaired and is back in my house, and the cabinetry has been re-applied. Now I just need to find a time when I'll be motivated to re-do all the plumbing and restart this project. It is now a curse and I am dreading the work it will take to get it back up and running. The first time was a labor of love, now it'll just be work and I'll have a bad attitude about it.
Probably not the inspiration you were looking for Eric, but that's what's up at my crib.
