Leak testing is going well, no signs of escaping water from either tank or the plumbing.
One of the silicone seams connecting an acrylic baffle to the glass sump failed separating the K1 section from the drip media (water to air). I will always be doing this in the future, especially on baffles trying to hold back water.
I added a few small pieces of acrylic perpendicular to the piece so that it shouldn't be able to push through again.
I also drilled a few holes in the top of the drip section (top of baffle between drip media and return section) so that air can escape. When I was testing for power outages, I would end up trapping an air pocket between a few inches of water on top and water below and I would get eruptions of water once it finally escaped through the drip tray. Now that air can calmly leave the chamber.
The one unresolved problem I have found is water evaporation rate. I am loosing about 2 gallons per day which means I need to top off the tank every 3 days or so. This will probably be worse during real operation when the water is heated. Normally this is will not be a big deal, but I would like the system to be stable enough that if it is left alone for a week, it will be ok. If I am out of town for more than a week, I can have someone stop by once, or twice, but I dont want to have someone come by every 2-3 days just to dump a bucket of water in. I am toying with the idea of adding an auto top off reservoir, but my available space is limited for a permanent installation, which I would prefer over a system just for vacations. I have the 2 openings that could support a tank of some kind of 8x16" base, and up to 20" in height. The only standard aquarium I can find is a 5 gallon which is not common in local pet stores. I have thus far been unable to find another container that fits the 8" requirement. Any ideas without resorting to building a tank? I would like at least 10 gallons so either 1 16x8x20 container, or 2 5 gallon tanks. I would greatly prefer a taller single tank so I have space for chemicals on the other side.
One of the silicone seams connecting an acrylic baffle to the glass sump failed separating the K1 section from the drip media (water to air). I will always be doing this in the future, especially on baffles trying to hold back water.
I added a few small pieces of acrylic perpendicular to the piece so that it shouldn't be able to push through again.
I also drilled a few holes in the top of the drip section (top of baffle between drip media and return section) so that air can escape. When I was testing for power outages, I would end up trapping an air pocket between a few inches of water on top and water below and I would get eruptions of water once it finally escaped through the drip tray. Now that air can calmly leave the chamber.
The one unresolved problem I have found is water evaporation rate. I am loosing about 2 gallons per day which means I need to top off the tank every 3 days or so. This will probably be worse during real operation when the water is heated. Normally this is will not be a big deal, but I would like the system to be stable enough that if it is left alone for a week, it will be ok. If I am out of town for more than a week, I can have someone stop by once, or twice, but I dont want to have someone come by every 2-3 days just to dump a bucket of water in. I am toying with the idea of adding an auto top off reservoir, but my available space is limited for a permanent installation, which I would prefer over a system just for vacations. I have the 2 openings that could support a tank of some kind of 8x16" base, and up to 20" in height. The only standard aquarium I can find is a 5 gallon which is not common in local pet stores. I have thus far been unable to find another container that fits the 8" requirement. Any ideas without resorting to building a tank? I would like at least 10 gallons so either 1 16x8x20 container, or 2 5 gallon tanks. I would greatly prefer a taller single tank so I have space for chemicals on the other side.
