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We have also learned a lot more about the kind of pollutants that build up, and appreciate that the rudimentary models that Guido came up with (I met him personally by the way) would, eventually, be adapted, changed, modified, call it what you want.
In the early sixties though that was quite an innovative thought and major step forth in water chemistry analysis for saltwater aquariums. Without Guido's contribution I am not sure we would be where we are today in terms of water purification.
His "device" was first described in one of his own two books (both are unfortunately out of print - even the German originals are no longer available). Although all of his recommendations may not be germane in the late 1990's, many of his ideas are still applied today, albeit in modified forms. As we shall see, FF's have really not evolved all that much in the last 35 or so years.
If you happen to find his books in your library, they are definitely worthwhile reading. They were published by TFH in English. I have one copy of each and, interestingly enough, reread the German versions, which they are, from time to time and always am impressed with his knowledge of aquarium chemistry. Indeed, Guido Huckstedt is somewhat of a forefather of the Marine Hobby for me and I like to reread what he had to say and think about some of his statements and see how they apply today or how they could be applied today.
Soon, advanced aquarists and researchers picked up on G. Huckstedt's ideas and started experimenting further with what was eventually to become the protein skimmer as we know it today. It should be clear though, that before this became reality, foam fractionators went through a series of technical changes, modifications and "mutations". Not just a few to be honest. Many changes were made and experimented with.
Even today, protein skimmers are being "redesigned", new models appearing on the market on a regular basis, all claiming to offer a better water purifying ability than other current models. Some of it is pure hype of course, but some of it is not. Indeed, highly efficient foam fractionators (protein skimmers) are now available from a wide variety of manufacturers. Moreover, prices of such skimmers have come down a good deal, making them a viable purchase (I should really say an investment in the well-being of their tanks) even for hobbyists who are on more limited budgets.
Since I last updated this article, at least three new skimmers have appeared on the market that offer new and innovative approaches. It is my opinion though, that the the principles used are still the same and that we are in reality using a modified 37 year old device.
Perhaps research in how to accomplish the same thing needs to be undertaken. Little progress in this area has been made (using modified version of something that was designed nearly 37 years ago is not much in terms of progress).
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