Well, extra effort and good intentions don't always result in what you want. Installed the tank the other day, began filling it by gallon today. Got to 7 gallons in the tank, went down below to make sure the fill hose wasn't leaking. Looked at the forward end, and oh no the tank is leaking. Frustrating that it leaks now after being filled with water and simple green for days without any leaks. I guess the debris I cleaned out is what was plugging the hole.

Drained and pulled the tank, and brought it to a local metal guy I've used for other work. He's fitting me into his schedule and hopefully I'll have a new tank in a couple weeks. Material will be upgraded to 3/16" thick, and the fill tube put on top of the tank instead of the end.
I think the moral here is, if your tank is original you're on borrowed time.