mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
I just ordered the same one for my new rimless tank. It comes with a template to show you where the holes go. It's a no-brainer!
Drill it right in your living room. You don't have to use a hose on it....just the small pool of water that sits inside the plumbers putty. Put a few towels inside the tank to catch the water when you go through.
I'm in the same boat. I have a tank sitting in my living room with no holes in it and no stand. I'm getting anxious.
That should work, but I would not have that sponge in there. It will need constant maintenance and it will slow the pods from making it to the display. I wouldn't want any obstacles between that and the display except for the return pump.
That light should allow you to keep a lot of stuff, however, it's not dimmable and you might have a tough time getting photosynthetic creatures acclimated to it. Also, it doesn't look like you have enough blues opposed to whites, so I don't think you are going to be happy with the color, or coral coloration.
You can raise it up a bit in the beginning.