Andrew,
Everything sounds great so far. The theory is great. I can't wait to see it in action. The only thing that stands out with me is that you don't want a back wall covered in coralline because it's distracting which I agree with. But using a starboard bottom will also cover in corraline. Is that what you'd prefer or do you want a more natural sand look? Myself, I really enjoy the bright white look a sandbed displays in a reef setup but prefer the benefits of a barebottom tank. Since you're already putting a lot of time and effort into planning and building this system, you may want to look into a false sandbed by glueing sand down on to the starboard. Just a suggestion but if it's done right it can give you the best of both worlds. I look forward to seeing your progress on this since I plan on building a very similar system in the near future. Good luck.
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Jason
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