Rugie I am sure that your thread is probibly directed mostly at me, so perhaps it might be best if I cleared the concept up a bit.
The concept of the Advance forum is to get deeper into subjects then would normally done in a general type section. Basically for folks like me, you and simular to take a subject and break it down to its nuts and bolts so we can truely understand it more and discuss the pros and cons that are involved with using it. On RF we have had topics like this for most all of the hottly debated subjects, from Zeovit to DSB to lighting and so on. ALl of these were discussed, figured out, explained (proof offered) and a list of pros and cons were developed.
When you first mentioned Pro biotics you peeked my interest, I have heard and seen them used in other aquatic areas but not in regards to hobby tanks. I asked you to start a thread and to share what you knew of them so we could once again break it down and get into the nuts and bolts of this system, you did. I assume that in being a new member here you did not realize that, that is what we do in this forum, I also guess that when the questions started coming and the debate begin you must have felt like it was an attack and thus retorted. From here everything kind of went down hill. Normally I PM the person and let them know how we deal with things, but with work these days I didnt get a chance to do that with you.
So you and other have this concept understood. All statements on any system that may have negative or positive effects will be questioned, and probibly deeply (I personally expect the same towards me) and at times when their is a conflict in a statement or something that goes against known science you will be asked for the proof you have to back up your claim. One of the plagues in this hobby if folks rambing off about this killed my tank or this made my tank the best in the world, Other folks follow suite and end up killing critters and costing themselves money (not saying you have done this).
What we try to do here is to take the subject, lets say the zeovit thread we just had a while back. We cut through the advertizing, hushed the negativity and basically broke the system down, step by step, using both scientific proof and user notes. To be honest I thought it was a great thread with alot of people involved from all over the world and we figured it out. Now if a hobbist comes to RF and wants to do some research on Zeovit they can get it, not the advertizers, "Oh yea my corals grow 3 inches a month and the color is unreal" or the negative " the stuff is poisen and water and wont do anything but kill your corals" instead they get a strong conversation, with alot of back up on both ends of the game and have a list of pros or cons they can use to make up thier own minds.
In the case of the probiotics thread. It was going to go the same way, maybe ProB has a place, maybe it needs to be administered differently or with different strains, or a different times using different methods to control it, who knows?? thats what the road the subject was supposed to travel. Things that were stated were just not possible when matched to known science, now that could have meant that the system needed tweeking or modifing??. I can see how a person could come in and take this as an attack and go on the defence (and I think this was the case) But this is what we do here, we try to cut through the advertising, and the he said she saids and all the other stuff simular that plagues the hobby and find out the real story, then let each person make a good educated choice.
If this makes sence to you Rugie (and I know it does, your a smart guy) then maybe you can see where we are coming from in this forum and join in with us on all topics knowing its not an attack its just breaking down the topic thats all. Of one thing I am sure is that you will learn more about it and so will all the other members (including myself).
Mike
