Update: I got the stand finished and painted. I am pleased with the way it turned out. Lots of sanding and three coats of semigloss polyurethane made a lot of difference. Ignore the pop up cramed in the shed. LOL
Also put two coats of gloss white on the inside of the stand and hood to make it look clean.
I think this weekend I am going to move the critters from my 20 gallon to my 45 gallon and take the 20 gal down. I am going to put the filter from the 20 on the 45 to keep it cycled so I can use the 20 and filter for a quarantine for incoming stock. I don't know yet if I am going to take the 45 down yet. I had originally just planned to have only the large 135 tank but when I told my 6 year old daughter she told me to put the 45 where the 20 gallon was, put her princess castle and submarine in it, and leave it going. I don't know. I built a really nice stand for the 45 and it will fit perfectly where the 20 gallon is so why not?!?
So recap:
(1)-20 coming down and use for quarantine filter going on 45 for safe keeping for now
(2)-45 moving to the spot where the 20 was per instruction from the 6 year old mini boss (it will probably have like 10,000 guppies in it [emoji849]). It is actually a good spot because it is in the family room and I can look at it while sitting on the couch. The large tank is going in the dining room and I don't have a couch in that room.
(3)-135 stand and tank moving to the spot where the 45 was in the dining room. When I get the sump wrestled in and the tank on the stand I am going to look at plumbing options.
All this work the last two weeks was done in like 30 minute to one hour blocks. I would come out after the kids went to bed and slap on a coat of poly. It actually worked well because I didn't get impatient and sand before the first coat was dry.
Anyways I can't wait to get it in the house and start on everything else.