[reefkprZ]

your pretty much right on with what I was thinking except I didn't mean to imply the particular strains that didnt wind up dominant dying off was bad. I was more thinking that they may more efficient than a more dominant strain.

After hearing you spell it out for me, about it not really mattering which strain/s dominate because your cycle continues uninterrupted, and the system balances various strains reaching equilibrium and co-existing, the loss of a few strains or the couple strains going dormant wont really make a difference.

Its pretty much the conclusion I think I would have wound up with on my own. It has definatly been helpful to discuss this with you as way of confirming and disavowing ceartain thoughts that may have taken me many more months to hash through on my own while sifting through "myth-information" and trying to sort fact from fiction.

I have to say no matter how long I am in this hobby I relearn everyday how much more there is to learn. Thanks for taking the time to hash through this a bit with me.

Now about skimmers, in your opinion, when running a light bioload on a full blown reef thats well established, do you think they are worth the loss in trace elements that we fight so hard to maintain? Just a parting thought for the night, i have to go watch a movie with the future wife now.