RubenD wrote:

My question is what signs should I be looking for? I'm afraid of leaks or
parasites on the rock.

Set the tank on a level surface where leaks won't be a problem and fill it up
for a few days to check for leaks. Parasites will die out if you quarantine the
rock for a month or so.

How strong the stand has to be to support such weight?

Once set up, you're into the 1,200 pound range. You need a stand with a
perfectly flat top; mine is a grid of 2x4s spaced about 12" apart and covered
with a sheet of 3/8" plywood. Torsion box construction also works well. You also
need a box frame at the bottom of the legs to spread the weight out over the
floor. Mine is 2x4s laid narrow side down. My stand has 6 legs. Each is a
sandwich of two 2x4s nailed together. One 2x4 fits between the frame of the top
and the base box; the other one runs from the plywood top to the floor. The back
is open, and the legs are braced with other 2x4s nailed at a 45 degree angle to
the top frame and the legs. The plywood sides of the stand form the bracing for
the sides.

I intend to build a new stand soon. This one will have a watertight catch basin
a few inches high on the bottom. I've had too many cases of equipment failure
sending water through my hardwood floors.

Also, if I get it, metal halides are a must, but, I heard the should be
keep inside a canopy for safety reasons, how true is that?

Absolute bull. I've never seen metal halides put inside a canopy. They generate
way too much heat for that. Usually they are suspended about a foot above the tank.

And last, what's the difference between metal halides and HQI metal
halides?

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HQI . Be sure to follow the link to
aquarium lighting.

George Patterson
If you torture the data long enough, eventually it will confess to
anything.