It's a ground level install - I'd never attempt to do anything this big higher than slab level! I dunno how they do it, i guess they are more dedicated. I'd been watching craigslist for a while, and some fish store in dallas closed up - and a livestock wholsaler bought the entire unit when it was up&runnin, and parted everything out....I was lucky to get the tank! It has a stock 10" wide upper canopy, but if i put it on, it'll be later on...
From my 3 running mains, 2 will be broken down first and all liverock/livestock/substrate will go into the biggun - over time....the 3rd contatins my LPS/SPS and it will be months before this thing is stable enough to put them over. I currently only have maybe 175# liverock & 175 pounds substrate (silver shores aragonite & crushed coral) that be xferred from the 2 mains into the 475g.. I will likely move as much liverock from the 3rd main as I can - once the fish are out of it. I will need to buy another 150-200 pounds of LR or base in really big chunks, and I can cure it off/Qtine it in one of the empty mains....The other empty main is gonna be my sump (100g), and am buying a used 55 or 75 to be the refugium.. Lighting will be 5ea 250w MH untis (for starters as it will be a FOWLR initially) with more later on, probably 10 total....Or if they seem dim at the bottom, i'll upgrade to 400watt units, as I sell off the 250's...shooting for 2500 - 3000 watts light at first, and might almost double that later on....I own 250watt units now, and need to use them...this build is on a budget..........lol
Have ordered:
175 pounds Silver Shores aragonite substrate.
140 pounds crushed coral.
80 pounds livesand.
1200 gallons of salt mix (reef crystals)
Soon to order - (this week/next):
more liverock
Euro Reef 12-3 skimmer
a large return pump - still planning out volume needs.
