Great build so far, I'm enjoying following along! It's pretty cool to have the opportunity to tailor your house to your aquarium...maybe I'll get there when I retire.
Two quick thoughts:
1. Any chance you can raise the top shelf of your sump stand so the skimmer isn't so close to the top? I'm just imagining that after a year of cleaning that skimmer cup you'll wish you had another 6" of clearance above it.
2. I know everyone differs on their opinions, but I don't think you need to keep adding so much ammonia. Ultimately, you're just building up a ton of nitrates that you're going to have to deal with eventually. A 20% water change is only going to drop your nitrates from 100 to 80. You'll need a lot of 20% water changes to get that down to say ~10 ppm (about ten 20% changes by my calculation). Would you consider some type of nitrate reduction method to supplement your water changes (Marinepure blocks, carbon dosing, chaetomorpha, etc.)?
Thanks for following. Yes, this has been a fun project, and to be totally honest, I'm not all that handy. One of "my" prerequisites for this house was to have an unfinished basement for this purpose. Luckily I scored! My wife has been amazingly supportive through out all of this.
1. Absolutely! That picture has actually changed quite a bit and there is no shelf close to the sump right now...still messing with it. I was going to drill a 40 gallon glass tank and make it a refugium and a section for water changes, but decided to look for an acrylic 55 instead. So once I get that all together I'll get that picture updated.
2. I totally agree with you on the ammonia and my nitrate issue; I have vodka and I'm not afraid to use it! However I want to ensure a proper cycle first. Before I add fish, my nitrates will be as close to zero as possible. If my logic is flawed, please let me know.