180 gal 4x3x2 FwoGiZ Living room display vivarium journal

[Mentat]

My recommendation is to forego the sump and get a Fluval FX6. If going with sump; for that space would use a 30B size (36L, 18W, 12H in in.). Make sure the sump corners are well supported by 2x4s resting on floor; they can get heavy.

[FwoGiZ]

My recommendation is to forego the sump and get a Fluval FX6. If going with sump; for that space would use a 30B size (36L, 18W, 12H in in.). Make sure the sump corners are well supported by 2x4s resting on floor; they can get heavy.

Major reason I need a sump is to keep water level in the tank!! Plus they cheap and easy to build!!!
36x18x12 would definitely be the best size tank for what I need but I am not gonna buy brand new and this is size real hard to find!!! I think I'll prolly end up going with some 20$ 30x12x12... which isn't as big as I wished, but should still do the tricks...


So one of the biggest dilemma I've had while working on this one project definitely is the lid... because there are no cross braces (it has euro bracing instead), it will be real hard for me to incorporate a lid with all the requirement that I need, which are;
4ft by 3ft
2x 48in LED lighting fixtures
2x 10in basking spots
needs mesh for UV + air exchange
at least 3 holes for nozzles
possibly another much bigger hole if fogger output doesn't work like intended (didn't have the chance to test it yet)
also need lids that I can easyly open and close... can't be too big if not geckos will get out
with all of this in mind, basically I have to build some kindo cross braces so I thought about glass, acrylic, polycarb but I think wood might actually be my best bet...
I am thinking about making a frame out of wood, drylok it and make sure it fit snug and sit on top of the euro bracing... place a silicon bead along where the lids will sit on, attach the plastic hinges somehow to the wood, and have the mesh frame sit on the wooden frame too.
Here' a pic of what I am talking about...
Tell me what you guys think!! Basically making sure that HUGE frame fit tight would be the hard part...!