Update.
Long story short the used 230 I purchased did not meet my standards in the light of day so I opted to use it as a sump instead. Therefore I have been busy installing it in the basement. I am pretty much done now, just a few little odds and ends to tie up and a bit of trim.
I needed an easy to build, cheap, super strong, open bottom stand so I went with cinder blocks. I already had a platform made for the main tank out of 2x4's and 3/4" plywood covered with pond liner and 1" of styrofoam so I just laid it across the cinder blocks.
I had never used cinder blocks before to build a stand I found them very easy to work with. They can be tricky to level but I found what I feel is a great shim material.
A lot of the time sand is used for leveling bricks so I was wracking my brain trying to think of something I could use on my concrete floor, obviously sand wouldn't stay in place without a little box or tray under the bricks. Then it hit me, shingles! normal ashphalt shingles, it's crushed ashphalt glued to tar paper, perfect!
I do expect it to mush down a little bit and deteriorate a little over time (depending on how often it gets wet) but I don't think it will ever become and issue. Even if all the paper disintegrated the granuals would still remain. So far so good anyways it's been a couple of weeks and the tank is still dead on level.
To cover the cinder blocks I used some old, unfinished hardwood flooring that was left here by the previous owners. It was a little trickier than I originally anticipated. This was due to the fact that I needed to make all the internal panels removable, not only removable but removable FAST as my plumbing and return pump are behind them. If there is ever a leak I won't have time to run around looking for a screw driver.
Basically I made a series of panels that pressure fit into place, one holds the next in place. The panels across the front are wired to the cinder blocks, I used screws sticking out the backside of the panels to allow me to plumb them vertically, this is key. The entire front must be perfectly true and square in order for the internal panels to line up properly. The other thing I should mention about building these panels is that I could not cut any boards lengthwise with my table saw, my pockets are empty and my blade is completely fried so that made things that much more interesting. LOL
Inside the tank I built a 12" wide x 48" long x 7" deep cheato compartment. I kept it back 12" from the front of the tank in order to allow my light to penetrate to the bottom where I have a little LR rubble tray where I may play around with fragging.
The rest of the sump is wide open, no baffles, only LR. I am keeping it bare bottom for ease of cleaning. I have more LR cooking now and I will accumulate more as times goes on.
For mechanical filtration I have 100 micron filter socks that I rotate. That's about it, I am keeping it simple.
As for the main tank I have finished all the framing and the cabinet structure now but I don't feel as though I should proceed with the "finishing" of the stand until I have the tank in place and filled. I am expecting some "settling" in the stand which may cause slight shifting that would throw my finishing work ever so slightly out of alignment. So I will have to build the tank before proceeding.
The long story bedind the used 230 I purchased ended with my wife getting me all the glass I would need to build a brand new 230. Not only did she get it for me she also had everything precision cut and water jet drilled from a brand new sheet of starfire!! Here is the best part, the company had everything cut, drilled, edged (minimum edge), crated and ready within 4 hours! Here is the REAL kicker......ready? it was 100% free !!! all of it! I just have to build it.
She used to work for a large glass company that supplies such places as Las Vegas (just a little bit of glass used there LOL). Anyway she is just one of those people that everyone loves and would bend over backwards for. She used to be the personal assistant to the president of the company whos *ss she has apparently saved on numerous occassions, so he told me as I was thanking him for the 50th time. LOL
Needless to say I am stoked!!
Here she sits....
Now the fun part, putting it together perfectly. If I put even one scratch in this tank after all this I am sure I will probably throw up right on the spot! LOL
Wish me luck.