What I continually find amazing is the sheer amount of different approaches in this hobby and the fact that there is no ONE right way.
Everyone has opinions based on their own experiences but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that there are some very rudimentary husbandry practices that are common amongst those that have acheived high quality results for extended periods of time. That being said, I cannot recall a single instance of a "Tank of the Month" or comparable system that did not start with absolutely pure water.
My own experience started out with some LPS and a lot of softies using tapwater. I almost quit after a year and a half because of my chronic cyano, but then someone suggested I buy a cheap DI unit and keep trying. Needless to say 2 1/2 years later I am here and better than ever, my system flourishing, my corals growing like weeds. Before discovering "pure" water, I was losing stuff like nobody's business.
We must also remember that all of our systems are unique, the biological and chemical compositions of our captive biospheres are all affected by every little thing we do to our tanks, from what we use as top-off water to how long our photoperiod is. Though I haved never seen Chin's system in person, I respect what he has to say as he has carefully thought out his approach, and grows some spectacular stuff in a fairly large system. Now if I could just get my hands on a few of his frags...
When considering advice from others on this topic, try to compare it to your own needs, look at their galleries and examine their pictures. Please don't let us discourage you, this is a neat and fascinating hobby with many rewards.
