ok.. fantasy time.. but i don't think i can stick to the $5K limit.. lol.
10X10 room, so the tank would have to be built into the walls on 3 sides. the room would have to be VERY well insulated. would have to be a minimum of 4ft deep and probably half the room wide.. so 5 ft wide. only the front side would actually be acrylic, obviously very thick, probably 2" (i would need to see that conversion table to be sure).
i would probably convert 2 or 3 55 gallon barrels into filters. and my stock would be cichla ocellaris, temensis and orinocensis, w/c silver aros, a TSN or maybe 2. and some big bichers (still learning about which ones get bigger and which don't).
the steel tank guy gave me an idea about the water change issue.. i like the way he did the drain on his tank, i would probably put something like that on the outside of the wall that the tank is built into and use that water to water my vegetable garden. fish poo is great fertilizer. and there would have to be a whole house R/O system so i can refill the tank quickly and not have to use chemicals.
see.. told ya it wouldn't make the $5K limit.. lol.