Speechless: www.majesticreefs.com
- Thread starter Len
- Start date
It's been interesting to learn about the feelings toward the Hiatt system over the past 6 months. While I am still not an expert on the science behind the Hiatt System, or any other system for that matter, I have learned that change comes slowly in this hobby and not without controversy and much debate. Looking back at different systems that have come in and out of favor (DSB, Berlin, Bio Balls, Canister filters, Plenums, etc.), it seems that most of them were met with criticism and many with nearly the controversy as the Hiatt System. Because the Hiatt System treats the most basic aspect of Reef Keeping, the Nitrogen Cycle, so radically different I can understand why this has been the case. The unfortunate thing has been that rather than actually test the claims of the system most experts in Reef Keeping choose to attack it based on their knowledge of current practices rather than actual experience with the system itself.
When I first started researching the system I almost immediately ran into opposition to it form a wide variety of sources. I always tried to find out if the criticism was based on experience or just personal opinion. There were very few, even among experts who had been given the opportunity to try the system themselves, who actually looked at the system objectively. I know this is difficult when the requirements of the system are so different form the norm. A friend of mine, Adam Blundell, president of WMAS and a respected biologist, was given the opportunity to verify the claims of the system and was sent all the necessary products and equipment to do so but ultimately decided to pass on the project. He passed the stuff off to a colleague who did the same and ultimately no one knows what came of the study. A couple of the Admins on this site also had limited experience with it but never pursued the matter further than to say it seemed to work but they were not interested enough to do any long term study. So no one wants to test it and they don't want to take the scientific studies or claims of the manufacturer either.
Another problem is that when someone attempts to use the product and report their findings they are criticized and any success is passed off as being possible with any number of other methods. This has been my experience when I reported that I started with a tank with no Live Rock, Live Sand, Live Water and was able to add fish immediately, corals soon thereafter, maintained nutrients at very low levels over the past 6 months without the use of a protein skimmer or other filtration. The experts are quick to point out that with good Live Rock, Sand and Water plus a protein skimmer and AC you can do the same thing. While this is true it doesn't diminish the fact that the Hiatt system did this without any of the Live products. While I am not advocating everyone chuck their systems and move to the Hiatt System it would be nice if just a little credit was given to the system for what it does do well. After all most everyone knows what is possible with traditional methods, we are evaluating whether the Hiatt System works or not.
So were back to the same criticism based on what we know about current systems and the differences of the Hiatt system VS the believers who tout the system as miraculous and sometimes making claims that are probably overly exaggerated. I find it interesting that over the last two or three weeks I have heard of several fellow hobbyists that have moved from a smaller tank to a larger one. After waiting for the cycle and reintroducing their livestock they met with disaster. Dead Fish, Coral, and water quality problems. Some of these were experts not beginners with all the latest equipment and systems. So with all this knowledge and equipment disasters still happen, even to the experts. I have started 4 tanks with the Hiatt system, My Nano that is running for 6 months, a 10G that I upgraded to a 20G which I took down after converting my 10 G to a Clown habitat and moved the other livestock to the 55G Frag Tank. Didn't loose one fish or coral in all the upgrades and modifications. Of course that couldn't have anything to do with using the Hiatt System.
When I first started researching the system I almost immediately ran into opposition to it form a wide variety of sources. I always tried to find out if the criticism was based on experience or just personal opinion. There were very few, even among experts who had been given the opportunity to try the system themselves, who actually looked at the system objectively. I know this is difficult when the requirements of the system are so different form the norm. A friend of mine, Adam Blundell, president of WMAS and a respected biologist, was given the opportunity to verify the claims of the system and was sent all the necessary products and equipment to do so but ultimately decided to pass on the project. He passed the stuff off to a colleague who did the same and ultimately no one knows what came of the study. A couple of the Admins on this site also had limited experience with it but never pursued the matter further than to say it seemed to work but they were not interested enough to do any long term study. So no one wants to test it and they don't want to take the scientific studies or claims of the manufacturer either.
Another problem is that when someone attempts to use the product and report their findings they are criticized and any success is passed off as being possible with any number of other methods. This has been my experience when I reported that I started with a tank with no Live Rock, Live Sand, Live Water and was able to add fish immediately, corals soon thereafter, maintained nutrients at very low levels over the past 6 months without the use of a protein skimmer or other filtration. The experts are quick to point out that with good Live Rock, Sand and Water plus a protein skimmer and AC you can do the same thing. While this is true it doesn't diminish the fact that the Hiatt system did this without any of the Live products. While I am not advocating everyone chuck their systems and move to the Hiatt System it would be nice if just a little credit was given to the system for what it does do well. After all most everyone knows what is possible with traditional methods, we are evaluating whether the Hiatt System works or not.
So were back to the same criticism based on what we know about current systems and the differences of the Hiatt system VS the believers who tout the system as miraculous and sometimes making claims that are probably overly exaggerated. I find it interesting that over the last two or three weeks I have heard of several fellow hobbyists that have moved from a smaller tank to a larger one. After waiting for the cycle and reintroducing their livestock they met with disaster. Dead Fish, Coral, and water quality problems. Some of these were experts not beginners with all the latest equipment and systems. So with all this knowledge and equipment disasters still happen, even to the experts. I have started 4 tanks with the Hiatt system, My Nano that is running for 6 months, a 10G that I upgraded to a 20G which I took down after converting my 10 G to a Clown habitat and moved the other livestock to the 55G Frag Tank. Didn't loose one fish or coral in all the upgrades and modifications. Of course that couldn't have anything to do with using the Hiatt System.
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