Filled it last night and proud to announce that not a single one of my plumbing connections leaked! I feel like that is a major accomplishment and is a product of many hours of research before getting into this. I should give a shout out to
Bulk Reef Supply and particularly
this video, the content was spot on and extremely helpful. I was meticulous in my measurements and in the pipe prep before gluing, specifically around the chamfering both inside and out of both ends. It all went together very smoothly and no leaks, so I feel very accomplished!
Now, for the fails...there are only 3. 1 & 2 were both the AquaMaxx reactors. Both reactors have the same issue with water leakout out of the inlet pipe where it meets the top. The only leak protection for this portion is a rubber o-ring on the underside. The o-ring seems a bit undersized in my opinion, but I don't know, maybe I was just unlucky and got 2 duds! I'll take some pics tonight and replace the o-rings with a little thicker and probably a little aquarium silicone for good measure. I do find it odd that both reactors leaked in the exact same spot, so I'll investigate that further tonight also. The 3rd fail was more of an air leak than a water leak. I tried to use the Aqueon MegaFlow Overflow Accessory Kit that came with the tank, but I should have know that wasn't going to work out for my custom build. The adjustability is nice, but the color doesn't match and they don't seat well in my bulkheads. Its a simple solution to build new ones and I should have just done that in the first place.
Since the 2 reactors were leaking and the drains were loud and bubbly, I wasn't able to get a full test completed. I'm a little concerned that my M2 pump is too powerful, but it's too soon to make that judgement until I get the drains figured out. I spent far too much time trying to quieten the drains last night, only to figure out that the problem was the Aqueon kit.
I think I will have this all solved and running tonight and will be ready to run a wide open test.
