THE IDEAL TANK      

     (My ideal tank anyway. Either way, my back doesn't hurt, and I don't have to shout)                      

    OK. Here's the whole deal.

    You know how every time you see a tank in the LFS (local fish store), or at someone's house, how you always have to stoop over to see it? I could never quite understand this. Maybe this is fine for our vertically challenged friends and the kids, but I don't get it. Why shouldn't  you be able to just walk over and enjoy the tank from a normal viewing level without having to stoop over? Are all the stands manufactured by Oompa Loompas? 

     I decided to build the tank and stand with this premise in mind. After all it was going to be in the living room. As long as it was going to shout "Hey You! Come look at me!", I thought it may as well be easy to look at. 

    Secondly, it had to be quiet. After all this thing sits right in the middle of our living room. It needed to look good, be functional, but also not be annoying. No gurgles, no humming pumps, nothing. This turned out to be quite the challenge. I have to thank Richard Durso here. His simple idea for plumbing an overflow is brilliant.  But here were other noises to overcome, such as pumps, fans, and skimmer. When all was done, I'm happy to say that the entire setup makes less noise than a refrigerator.