Found this on the net while researching something else.
Quote "I always think history is important, especially in a hobby where, let’s be honest, many of us are easily distracted by the latest gadget, trend, or miracle additive
. It’s easy to get caught up in the new and flashy, but understanding where our methods and practices come from gives us a deeper appreciation for the hobby and helps us make better choices. The reefkeeping techniques we take for granted today were pioneered by dedicated aquarists who experimented, failed, adjusted, and shared their findings long before reef tanks became common.
Peter Wilkens' landmark book Niedere Tiere im tropischen Meeresaquarium (The Saltwater Aquarium for Tropical Marine Invertebrates), published in the early 1970s, was credited as the first to document the use of kalkwasser (a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide) to supplement calcium and alkalinity in closed marine systems. At the time, this was a revolutionary idea. It enabled aquarists to successfully keep stony corals, a feat previously considered nearly impossible in captivity.
Together with other pioneering aquarists like Dietrich Stüber, Wilkens helped develop what became known as the Berlin Method of reefkeeping. As members of the Berlin Marine Association, they promoted a system that emphasized natural filtration with live rock, strong lighting, efficient protein skimming, and the use of kalkwasser to maintain stable calcium and alkalinity levels. Decades later, this approach remains a cornerstone of modern reefkeeping."
Being around 45 plus years in the hobby I well remember a series of articles in the US ( am in the UK) magazine (pre interweb of course) FAMA. I used to buy it every month from an outdoor news agents in Bolton England where I lived and worked.
To say the series of articles and many more were a revelation would be an under statement. The series brought us metal halides, the benefits of live rock ( actually we were already using live rock often ordered via the LFS) and most importantly kalkwasser.
Other articles appeared mainly from German, Dutch, Swiss and Belgium professional hobbiests. These series articles and more appeared in the 90s and formed the backbone of our modern day hobby.
Some of you may recall them, even perhaps retain some of those magazines, I wish I had.
If you do have some of those magazines you.must be as old if not more than me but it would be great to hear your views and thoughts.
Quote "I always think history is important, especially in a hobby where, let’s be honest, many of us are easily distracted by the latest gadget, trend, or miracle additive
. It’s easy to get caught up in the new and flashy, but understanding where our methods and practices come from gives us a deeper appreciation for the hobby and helps us make better choices. The reefkeeping techniques we take for granted today were pioneered by dedicated aquarists who experimented, failed, adjusted, and shared their findings long before reef tanks became common.Peter Wilkens' landmark book Niedere Tiere im tropischen Meeresaquarium (The Saltwater Aquarium for Tropical Marine Invertebrates), published in the early 1970s, was credited as the first to document the use of kalkwasser (a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide) to supplement calcium and alkalinity in closed marine systems. At the time, this was a revolutionary idea. It enabled aquarists to successfully keep stony corals, a feat previously considered nearly impossible in captivity.
Together with other pioneering aquarists like Dietrich Stüber, Wilkens helped develop what became known as the Berlin Method of reefkeeping. As members of the Berlin Marine Association, they promoted a system that emphasized natural filtration with live rock, strong lighting, efficient protein skimming, and the use of kalkwasser to maintain stable calcium and alkalinity levels. Decades later, this approach remains a cornerstone of modern reefkeeping."
Being around 45 plus years in the hobby I well remember a series of articles in the US ( am in the UK) magazine (pre interweb of course) FAMA. I used to buy it every month from an outdoor news agents in Bolton England where I lived and worked.
To say the series of articles and many more were a revelation would be an under statement. The series brought us metal halides, the benefits of live rock ( actually we were already using live rock often ordered via the LFS) and most importantly kalkwasser.
Other articles appeared mainly from German, Dutch, Swiss and Belgium professional hobbiests. These series articles and more appeared in the 90s and formed the backbone of our modern day hobby.
Some of you may recall them, even perhaps retain some of those magazines, I wish I had.
If you do have some of those magazines you.must be as old if not more than me but it would be great to hear your views and thoughts.
