how messy is it?

[cprowler]

The worst I have had is to sand and paint the wall and that was because of my neglect. The problem was from a very fine mist from splashing, like from HOB (hang on back) filters and sumps. The mist contains salt and over time can ruin the paint and/or drywall. I'm sure if I would have wiped the wall off every 2 or 3 weeks with a warm damp cloth I would have had no problems at all. The floor can be a different story where a lot more water could accumulate causing more damage.

I would have no worries with a self contained nano cube or something similar before you get into sumps and external skimmers, it's probly the best place to start. It will give you some time to read more and ask more questions. You have been asking great questions by the way. I wish I had done some research first, it would have saved me lots of time, money and frustration.

As far as glass breaking and silicone seams letting go. I believe that most nano setups are acrylic and any risk of failure would be extremely minimal.