SR52012
Active Member
Good morning everyone!
Here is the story of my 75 gal tank build and failure.
Part of the wife agreeing to me upgrading to this was that i had to build a stand to match how she wants the living room, hence the fo-pallet wood and whitewashing.
20171110_182753 by Mike Hamilton, on Flickr
So i plumbed it with 3/4 flex for my returns and 1" hard plumbed for my drain.
20171113_192252 by Mike Hamilton, on Flickr
20171111_171918 by Mike Hamilton, on Flickr
20171112_143136 by Mike Hamilton, on Flickr
Up to this point everything was going good... until...
The leak test!!!
This is where the "**** hit the fan"! I start filling her with the garden hose with the tank stand pulled out so i am still able to get behind it to make sure everything is "Kosher", then i was going to drain her, put the back on and slide her to her spot.
First half of the tank did great! Now we get to the first bulk head... the over flow... water starts to rise and i stand there staring waiting and praying that nothing leaks!! O NO!!! a little water starts running down from behind the overflow box, then it starts coming through the threads of the overflow bulk head. So i tightened the bulk head a little more to see if that would help, not so much... still leaking a little... i tightened a little more then all of a sudden....
SNAP! I cracked the freaking bulkhead nut! ***!!! So with towles shoved under the overflow at this point i decided "F" it and lets see how the returns work to make sure they dont leak while im at it. I already have water all over the dang floor so y not.
Turn on the return pump...
It primes...
Then!
The flow was like i was on a "F"ing lazy river! what the heck I THOUGHT MY PUMP WAS BIG ENOUGH!!! GUESS NOT!!!! It is a Used Mag5 with 3/4 flex plumbing, not the end of the world, I get to upgrade to something new and controllable. However it just sent me into a tail spin of self pity and utter disgust from my failure.
So I start texting friends, finally one of them helps me figure it out. I had one of the dang gaskets of the overflow in the wrong spot and that is most likely why it started leaking. So today I am going to go and see if i can find another bulkhead nut and then i guess try again with the gaskets in the correct locations and see what happens. If all the leaks are gone ill close her up and put her in her spot. Fill her with water and start mixing salt. O did i mention we are hosting Thanksgiving and this either needs to be done or cleaned up before hand? yea go figure.
Sorry for the long read, but maybe someone can learn from my mistakes.
Ill try to get my photos off photobucket due to the new issue...
Here is the story of my 75 gal tank build and failure.
Part of the wife agreeing to me upgrading to this was that i had to build a stand to match how she wants the living room, hence the fo-pallet wood and whitewashing.
20171110_182753 by Mike Hamilton, on FlickrSo i plumbed it with 3/4 flex for my returns and 1" hard plumbed for my drain.
20171113_192252 by Mike Hamilton, on Flickr20171111_171918 by Mike Hamilton, on Flickr20171112_143136 by Mike Hamilton, on FlickrUp to this point everything was going good... until...
The leak test!!!
This is where the "**** hit the fan"! I start filling her with the garden hose with the tank stand pulled out so i am still able to get behind it to make sure everything is "Kosher", then i was going to drain her, put the back on and slide her to her spot.
First half of the tank did great! Now we get to the first bulk head... the over flow... water starts to rise and i stand there staring waiting and praying that nothing leaks!! O NO!!! a little water starts running down from behind the overflow box, then it starts coming through the threads of the overflow bulk head. So i tightened the bulk head a little more to see if that would help, not so much... still leaking a little... i tightened a little more then all of a sudden....
SNAP! I cracked the freaking bulkhead nut! ***!!! So with towles shoved under the overflow at this point i decided "F" it and lets see how the returns work to make sure they dont leak while im at it. I already have water all over the dang floor so y not.
Turn on the return pump...
It primes...
Then!
The flow was like i was on a "F"ing lazy river! what the heck I THOUGHT MY PUMP WAS BIG ENOUGH!!! GUESS NOT!!!! It is a Used Mag5 with 3/4 flex plumbing, not the end of the world, I get to upgrade to something new and controllable. However it just sent me into a tail spin of self pity and utter disgust from my failure.
So I start texting friends, finally one of them helps me figure it out. I had one of the dang gaskets of the overflow in the wrong spot and that is most likely why it started leaking. So today I am going to go and see if i can find another bulkhead nut and then i guess try again with the gaskets in the correct locations and see what happens. If all the leaks are gone ill close her up and put her in her spot. Fill her with water and start mixing salt. O did i mention we are hosting Thanksgiving and this either needs to be done or cleaned up before hand? yea go figure.
Sorry for the long read, but maybe someone can learn from my mistakes.
Ill try to get my photos off photobucket due to the new issue...
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