Science vs. Nature

I was skimming (haha) through the threads today and came across an interesting thread about Vodka dosing. After reading through it I began to question my own competence in the hobby. I have been keeping saltwater tanks for about 2-3 years now and I am still constantly learning. I have always liked to feel that I am reletively knowledgable, but I come across more and more threads that I hardly understand. I have always taken my tanks very slow, stocked low, used ample LR, a good protein skimmer, good flow,a couple MH pendants here and there, and have always been very successful with my tanks.

I keep coming across threads where people are dosing vodka, running purigren, using red slime remover, using calcium reactors, denitrifiers, and basically just constantly fidgeting with their tanks. I know that everyone does their own tank their own way and that what makes reefkeeping such fun! The problem is the more articles and threads i read about more "fancy" reefkeeping that I am not taking advantage of, the more i worry about the long-term impact on the health of my lovely aquatic creatures. Is anyone else with me on this? Is reefkeeping becoming more of a calculated science, or is it a beautiful piece of nature that will bloom in its own good time?

 

I think people do too much to their tank also... Too many gadgets too many additives... I run a skimmer and power heads all I dose is 2 part.. Good enough for me...

 

K.I.S.S .....Thats all i got to say. the simpler the better

 

I have messed with freshwater tanks since i was a kid. Over the years, I have found that simplicity works best for me, I will use the same methods for saltwater... jmo.

 

I would say, in this case, science is bringing you closer to nature. All the fancy additives are to fill imperfections in the system that would not be their in the ocean, what you're boxed salt doesn't have. Also, if you don't do water changes (like me), there are minerals, AAs, trace elements that are being depleted and not replacing them is unwise. Not "science vs. nature," but "nature via science."

 

Once the science is correct the rest will follow.

their is alot of science behind our tanks that others have spent countless hours behind the scenes figuring out.
Ie; tank salts, not all are created equal but are at the basis of our tanks most will shop by price other for the chemical composition.. such as amounts of cal, alk, mag and other trace elements.
I guess it all depends on ones own personal interests as to how far they delve into the science behind the beauty.