So I finished reinforcing and painting the stand. I also added a removable top so that I can get the sump in and out if need be.
The color is what my wife picked out for the botton half of the new fish room. Not my favorite. Kind of looks like baby poop but hey if she's happy...
anyways the pics:
I also ordered ordered a new sump pump (the one I got didn't work) and the lighting system today. I got the 3x96watt kit from AHsupply.com and 3 6700k bulbs. That should put me at 2.3 watts/gallon which I hope is plenty for the plants I'm growing. This weekend I'll be making a custom canopy for the lights.
I also decided how I'm going to do the rock work in the tank. I'm going to get (buy or pick up outside) some granite and just use a chisel and carve it the way I want it to look. May take some time but in the long run it will look better.
anyways thanks for reading! more updates soon I hope.