Question About Best Setup For My Waiting Room

I am planning on putting a 265 gallon freshwater aquarium in my waiting room. I’m looking for a low maintenance setup. As I see it my options would be to put the aquarium either in the centre of the room ( where it would be viewed from the front, back and 1 side - this setup would require a sump which to my understanding requires more maintenance but hides a lot of the equipment. Or I can put the aquarium against a wall, with access to it from the back through the adjacent room, with this setup I can use canister filters and not use a sump, so it’s less maintenance. I am new to this so any advice would be appreciated. Is my reasoning correct? If so I think I should put it against a wall and not use a sump thereby making maintenance easier, although it would look better in the middle of the room. What do you all think?

 

I'm not a sump guy, but IMO, an overflow / sump system provides the best possible filtration. I don't think maintenance is a problem. It would take a pro to drill your tank & install the system. You would have to make sure the sump wasn't easily accessible to the public. One bottle of pop or cup of orange juice poured into the sump, instant tank killer.
Personally, I'd put the tank against the wall & use two Fluval FX-6's.

 

Can you put the canister filter(s) underneath inside the stand?

 

That's where most canister filters are kept.

 

Did someone say 265 gallons? I'm following!!

 

That's where most canister filters are kept.

I actually have two that aren't in the stands. One is for my 26g bowfront that is sitting on a desk. The other is for my 65g, whose stand doesn't have enough room for the canister. Both are sitting to the side.

 

A stand big enough to support a huge 265 gal. Tank should have ample space to house two canister filters.

 

I thought all canisters hung off the back. If you put canisters under the tank can you put holes in the bottom of the tank to run to it, like in a sump setup? I’d love to be able to view the tank from both front and back without a lot of equipment in the way but I’d also like to use canister filter instead of sump.

 

The only stands I have experience with are designed to be against a wall, and are open in back for passing hoses, tubes, and wires. I'd like to see what your stand looks like.

 

Although, I would have a wall on one of the ends of the aquarium. So I could run tubes from the top of the aquarium down along that wall underneath the aquarium. Basically I want to know if it’s possible to have a tank that large, viewable from front, back and 1 side with just canister filters (no sumps) stored underneath, with no equipment hanging off the back.

Although, I would have a wall on one of the ends of the aquarium. So I could run tubes from the top of the aquarium down along that wall underneath the aquarium. Basically I want to know if it’s possible to have a tank that large, viewable from front, back and 1 side with just canister filters (no sumps) stored underneath, with no equipment hanging off the back.

I don’t have the tank or stand yet, just in the planning stages and trying to figure out which way I’m going so I can pick my location and plan for the location for the plumbing and electrical.