So, now the tank is full of water, the Bean overflow is happily in place, and the only (tiny) leak actually drips into the sump anyway. I'll fix it, but it's not crucial right now.

The Warner Marine K2 skimmer is plugged in and switched on, it's actually producing far too many bubbles at the moment, even with the gate valve completely open (!). I've left it to overflow back into the sump, and I hope this is because the thing is squeaky clean and needs to bed in for a little while....

Well, the moment has finally arrived. It's been a hectic last few weeks (both at work and at home) so I haven't had too much time to play with the tank, but after re-doing some of the underneath plumbing, the tank and plumbing appear to be holding water

To test things out, I did as before, and short-circuited the plumbing so I didn't need to fill the tank, but once there were no leaks for a good hour or so of pumping, I could start to fill the tank up... Here's the start......

We have a 225 gallon reef tank with a 75 gallon sump. All seems to be going well with the coral and fish in the tank with ample coralline algae throughout. We've been getting these ugly brown algae growing in three patches and the Tang does not seem to have an appetite for it. Any suggestions on how to get rid of this stuff without tearing it out or treating with chemicals? Photo of the algae attached.

So much of this is just thinking ahead, trying to make sure it's not like being in the army ... hurry up, and wait ... hurry up, and wait ... ad nauseum.

The lighting set up is going to be DIY LEDs. This is for a couple of reasons:

• Cost is important - the less money I spend on lighting, the more I can spend on corals... oh, and the baby due in February [grin]
• Control is important too. The way I'm planning to ultimately set it up is a little more expressive than most. To

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1. if you're going to have corals you need to aim at having either an all-in-one tank---or a sump, skimmer, and good lighting. Your rock and sand take the place of a filter.
a. stony coral and clams: need brighter light, good circulation. For sps (colored sticks) you need high flow and a super skimmer.
b. 'soft' coral is more forgiving, can exist without a skimmer if you don't push it, but it's a good idea to have one.

2. if you're fish-only you can get by with a filter:...