Back in the 1980s I used to read books/magazines all the time about the marine aquarium hobby. Most of the information was geared towards high powered filtration and keeping everything sterile. Most saltwater tanks were full of dead bleached coral skeletons, coarse sand and a single fluorescent tube for lighting. But one day I ran across a tidbit about Lee Chin Eng's "natural method" and investigated to learn more...
Lee Chin Eng was a man of Chinese descent living in Indonesia. Back in the 1950s-60s he designed and documented a "natural" system that was capable of keeping corals & inverts alive, AND some of his fish even spawned in captivity. He used live rock, airstones for circulation and utilized natural sun light so the corals could grow. His idea was that marine systems are more successful when using live rock/sand + natural seawater than a sterile environment void of the organisms that complete the nitrogen cycle. So maybe he is @Paul B's long-lost brother or something??
I've dug up some articles (below) if you'd like to read more about one of our founding fathers:
Milestones & Pioneers of The Reef Aquarium Hobby | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog
REEF AQUARIUM FARMING NEWS #6 p3
An In-Depth Look at the Natural System of Reef Keeping: Part One
Mr. Eng's "natural method" became the basis for the development of the Berlin Method: Understanding the Berlin Method of Marine Filtration
Lee Chin Eng in front of his reef tank circa 1960
Lee Chin Eng was a man of Chinese descent living in Indonesia. Back in the 1950s-60s he designed and documented a "natural" system that was capable of keeping corals & inverts alive, AND some of his fish even spawned in captivity. He used live rock, airstones for circulation and utilized natural sun light so the corals could grow. His idea was that marine systems are more successful when using live rock/sand + natural seawater than a sterile environment void of the organisms that complete the nitrogen cycle. So maybe he is @Paul B's long-lost brother or something??
I've dug up some articles (below) if you'd like to read more about one of our founding fathers:Milestones & Pioneers of The Reef Aquarium Hobby | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog
REEF AQUARIUM FARMING NEWS #6 p3
An In-Depth Look at the Natural System of Reef Keeping: Part One
Mr. Eng's "natural method" became the basis for the development of the Berlin Method: Understanding the Berlin Method of Marine Filtration
Lee Chin Eng in front of his reef tank circa 1960
