Well here is the plan. This is a built-in entertainment center courtesy of our home builder. We couldn't talk them into not building it and our TV didn't fit in it. So we are going to make the most of it. I would prefer to get a bigger tank but this is the only spot approved by my wife and is in frequent viewing range (i.e. near the TV).
I have read this forum extensively so hopefully some of it has stuck with me. But being such a newbie I will take any of your opinions or thoughts of when I may be making a mistake. The first and most obvious issue is the wealth of electronics below the future aquarium. I don't have the option to move them since the whole house stereo is hardwired in there. But I do have a plan.
The picture says 36" tall, its actually only 30" tall so with a 22" tall tank I would have 8" elbow room.
Below the aquarium and the electronics is our unfinished basement. So I should be able to build a rack and locate a sump/refuge/skimmer/chiller(if needed since the basement stays fairly pleasant even in our sometimes 95 degree summers). I will plan on a slightly larger pump than normally needed to account for the extra pump height needed to pump the water up. It should be no more than a 12 foot rise. I plan to use flex PVC to avoid loss from Tee's or 90's. The good news is I can pretty much find any old glass aquarium to use for the sump, I plan to silicon in baffles, etc to make my own sump. And if I can get a big enough one it can accommodate the back flow when the pump is shut off.
One solution I have for the leak risk over the electronics is to tile in the sides, back and bottom of the opening and put in a drain that goes to our basement drain. So if per chance it does develop a leak it will head straight downstairs.
so I guess my questions so far would be:
1. are there a lot of issues with bulk heads leaking or once you get them set are they good to go? I am considering a siphon overflow which will keep the return closer to the top of the tank where I can monitor it but this is still up in the air for me.
2. do you think that with an opening height of 30" that going with 22" tank height is enough room to work? I will make the lights so as they can be easily removed. And absolute worse case scenario I could drain the tank to service it. I could bring it down to 20" tall but this is really cutting into the gallons and beauty of it all.
3. What size external pump would you look for in this setup? I found a place to calculate head loss but dont have a clue what it means.
4. Can I run everything in one set of supply and return lines. I would like to minimize the in and out lines to reduce chance of leaking. At most it would go to the sump, skimmer, built in refuge, maybe through an in-line chiller, then back up to the tank. I would also probably have a built-in self contained wave maker with some power heads and a controller.
5. at the estimated size of 38"x20"x22" do you think I would have enough room for a tang or two. (i know 36"x18"x"24" is 65Gal) I have seen others pictures and love the fish but wouldnt want to torture them in a small tank. The sump could be as big as 60gal or so, but I know that doesnt help for swimming room in the display.
Long post, love the site, this will be a long process for me but just taking it one step at a time for now. Appreciate all of your suggestions and help.