Reddit reviews Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms

> so you have a fully functional ecosystem in your tank

That is what I am going for really. I tend to pay more attention and put more effort into maintaining the health of animals that I can't see than ones that I can.

Skimmers are a great piece of kit, you just have to know where they fit in the filtration equation and what they are used for. It is amazing mechanical filtration, but it doesn't come without downsides. It removes solids from the water yes and that can be a big problem if you have suspension filter feeders and feed small particle feeds. It removes a whole wack of calcium and much of what is making that awful smell is dead microfauna that has been blasted apart from the pressure differential through the venturi. That also means that any microbial life that can't handle being forced through a air/water interface at high pressure will die out in your tank. While there hasn't been direct studies on that effect (the studies done look at removal of TOC and chemical make up of skimmate), it is logical to assume that such a pressure will decrease biodiversity over-all in the tank.

All that being said, they really do have their uses. Not only does it sequester organic compounds, it removes them entirely from the tank. If you have big, messy fish that can be invaluable and easily over-come any issues that running a skimmer might cause.

> Berlin - live rock filtration
Jaubert - live gravel bed filtration with a plenum http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/9/aafeature
Smithsonian i couldn't find much info on. have any sources you'd care to share on that type of setup?

Dead on. You have actually come to the best place I can think of for information on the Smithsonian method! We have, I believe, two of their aquarists who are regular posters on the sub. Both Jaulbert and Smithsonian have changed quite a bit over time (Berlin too!). Most Jaulbert inspired tanks have live rock for instance and people mix and match the bits of each system that they like and will work in their particular setup. The best information I have found regarding the basics of these systems was a book called "Natural Reef Aquariums". Smithsonian concentrates on the planktonic layer and insuring that microfauna circulate in the system. Hard core Smithsonian actually uses extremely expensive pumps that don't cause cavitation. Algae scrubbers have been the main thing that has come out of that particular system although there is much more to it.

Really, the philosophy is "More biology, less technology". Always look for a biological and ecological solution to a problem first rather than looking to technology.

Natural Reef Aquariums is one of my favorite tomes.