Probably need to move thread...
If you are switching to solid flooring with an aquarium I would strongly suggest going with Vinyl Planking over laminate. While laminate top layer may be listed as “waterproof” it is still highly susceptible to moisture from underneath. I would avoid anything with a wood particle or MDF style underside. If some water spills and drains around/ under shoe molding it will soak in and enough water will eventually warp the floor. We’ve encountered plenty of cases where air ducts would sweat around the laminate flooring penetrations and then start warping the floor so the grille wouldn’t sit flush against the floor. Vinyl Planking is 100% vinyl so water isn’t an issue, it is used a lot in basements where water/ moisture can be huge concern. Once installed I doubt many could tell the difference in the laminate versus vinyl. I used the Shaw vinyl planking line from Lowe’s. The color/ style of laminate you want can probably be found in the LVP as well.
I will be crossing this bridge soon as well. You could cut carpet around stand and leave the carpet under the stand. Just run your new flooring up to the base of the stand and trim around. Keep some of the new flooring is storage in case you move the tank down the road so you’ll have matching flooring if they discontinue that finish. If not I’d probably set up a holding system so I could drain the tank completely into the holding system. As soon as the section of the floor under tank location is ready I could reset the tank and refill and move livestock back quickly. Also I would make enough water so I could do plenty of quick water changes if need be after restocking.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
