Sorry to hear of your issues Phil. I like your idea of upgrading and doing it right, especially if the significant other is on board! I'd go to something in the 180 region if I were you, and 30" wide is great. 24" seemed like a ton of width initially, but that space goes quickly. Seems like a buyer's market right now for used tanks, not sure if Patrick's is still for sale. My tank moved with me and my plan is now to refurb it and get it back up and running, sort of along the same lines as you, correcting a few things that could have been improved along the way.