put water into my sump today, and found some leaks.
the tank is perfectly sealed. the leaks came from some threaded pvc pieces and i'll have to retape with teflon tape. otherwise, all seems to be good.
i purchased a mag drive submersible pump that does 1200gph and it sucks like a champ. only got to test it out today, but combined with the pvc spraybar = magic.
i still have to paint the outside of the tank, put the sand in it, and cover the stand. all in due time.
i also got a 60g tank free from a neighbor as of 2 days ago, so that was a nice bonus.
i'm thinking once i cover the stand, i will add trim to the stand and possibly the top of the tank. then i will paint it a matt black and do some freehand art. not quite sure what exactly, but i'm sure i'll think of something.