A history of the hobby
 

I have been reading your article written in 2004: A history of the hobby http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

Already in the 60's the biofilter with compartments for sand, oyster shell grit and GAC was introduced in the Netherlands and Belgium. Counter current skimmers where used in combination with ozon or an UV light. Frank De Graaf, conservator of Artis aquarium in Amsterdam explaines how a biofilter works and how it must be build . He explaines how to manage a marine aquarium in his book published in 1969: Frank De Graaf, 1969. Handboek voor het tropisch zeeaquarium, Tweede druk. ed. A.J.G. Strengholt N.V. Amsterdam.The book of 336 pages is written in Dutch. A translation in Engish of this book was published in 1973: Graaf, F. de, 1973. Marine Aquarium guide. Pet Library, Harrison, N.J. Decenia later a system which was commercialized as the Dutch system changed the marine aquarium hobby in the US. I am pretty shure that this book was used to develop the so called Dutch system. The link to the Dutch author Frank De Graaf who introduced the biofilter with compartments ( sump) was never maid. Till now!
Thanks to F. De Graaf we could keep marine animals for a long and acceptable period of time. The system introduced by F.De Graaf is suitable for keeping a mixed reef, modified with modern lighting.