Thanks for pointing out the biowaste and change info, that was a concern of mine as well.

As far as the fish in there, they will be definetly meat eaters of some type, whether arowana or piranhas, i figure it will get messy and smellier than lets say goldfish or other veggie eaters.

Right now i am experimenting with my 5 piranhas and i found out that hertz bloodworms cause a "film" on the insides of the tank causing me having to clean it every 3 days or so, also freeze dried shrimp clogs the filter and floats to the bottom and requires frequent cleaning.

The cleanest method i found so far is attaching a shrimp to a string and letting them nibble on it and pull out the remains.

If i had to clean this 1000 gallon aquarium on a weekly basis then i doubt i have the time to maintain it or will have to pay someone to do it.

After finals are over, i am going to check out some pet shops and see what kind of lighting, sumps, etc. to get and go from there.

oh, yes i do plan on using live plants. Any idea of how long this tank will last?