Although Ive only been reefing a week or two, My observation has been that those highly clean, bugless algae less, Nutrients less systems are very similar to a petri dish or specimen tank or hydroponics systems.
Yes, it works, it grows corals the fish are fine, maybe. The balances that need to made them become more and more tenuous as each parameter has to be so closely controlled and monitored that one unsuspected change can spell disaster. Be it a common brown flatworm or pink hair algae or bad batch of salt.
Its IMO, unstable. its also a highly advanced technique and requires a lot of skill not to mention time and money,
I think this is the biggest choice of the reef keeper and likely the largest bit of confusion for a new reef keeper to understand. The advice given to them is so often to start with the petri dish.
Petri dishes are just way to hard for me. Just having a reef tank and not worrying about all that crap has given me quite a bit of success. I didnt realize it at the time but finally finding a forum that I dont get flamed on for my aquaclear is ok theory, too has allowed me to see a lot of tanks and a lot of problems and appreciate that Ive never had the problems "most" people have.
I think besides Paul's tank (and mine) the most beautiful example of a natural style truly mixed reef I know of on reef2reef is Wiz. Its full blown. Amazing acros, softies fish bugs etc. The natureal processes take care of themselves for the most part it seems.
The strange Irony, a person who is fast becoming a friend here in person where I live is of the other side. most amazing reef ever no algae sps/acro colonies as as big your head. He's a scientist by trade, been in reefing since the 80's, his results are deeply scientifically rooted and a bit complex ish. But also as relaxed as any veteran reefer and he doesn't test PH and Po.
I cant figure out how he does it.
Id like to learn though. But only because I like to learn stuff and apply it to MY reef and keep MY bugs and fish and algae healthy.
