I have decided to build a reef tank, using a 100 gallon blue-back Plexiglas tank I purchased from a friend.  Below I will update you on all the steps of my new project:

June 2002:
Purchased the tank from Eric.  Canopy and base need repair from water damage and dings from storage/transport. 

July 2002:
Completed sanding, filling and painting of base and canopy.  I sanded and used a leaf blower to get all the grit out of the nooks and crannies.  I then used a plastic based wood filler to repair the water damaged areas that I have to remove, as well as the old screw holes for the doors.

I masked off the edges and painted all the "inside" areas with a black epoxy appliance paint.  This is water resistant (if not water proof) and provides a nice shiny look.  Because the stand had been painted before, the epoxy went on smooth without much absorption into the wood.  It tool 3 cans for the canopy and 4 cans for the base.

Eight cans of green stone-fleck paint over a two week period to cover the old grey stone fleck that was on there. The grey provided a great base coat after it was sanded a bit.  I then topped it with 4 cans of glossy clear coat.  I like the gloss over matte because there is a lot of texture with the stone fleck paint that makes it look wet with a clear gloss coat.