[DrHank]

Melanie, I'm sorry if my post gave you the impression that you had a bad skimmer. Sometimes I loose sight of the fact that you are setting up a FOWLR. We all have the tendancy to use the best and most efficient skimmers to remove the maximum amount of organics from our tanks. This helps to reduce the nutrients in the water which can cause algae to bloom.

I've had good results in the past using a wet/dry filter and dead coral skeleton in a fish only tank. Nitrates get very high and water changes reduce them. We all try to recommend what we feel will help folks the most and I guess that most of us also assume that most folks who have success with a FOWLR ultimately proceed to a reef tank.

There isn't anything wrong (you don't have a bad skimmer) with the Berlin Venturi Skimmer. I also happen to have one of those. At one time they were considered the best because of the combination of a venturi and counter current. They still work but can be somewhat difficult to set for greatest efficiency. Again, in a reef system, that's what we all strive for.

I can tell you that on my tank I feel the two most important components are my protein skimmer and my lighting. They keep my reef alive. Again, I apologize if my previous post caused you concern.