Hmmm... well they aren't considering other factors, especially in a reef tank, where you can potentially throw it all out of equilibrium.
They don't show any vacuuming of substrate either, which can be a contributing factor to the initial problem.
I guarantee that anyone trying that method will experience a diatom bloom shortly afterward.
I'm with Dylan on the ounce of prevention.
"Old Tank Syndrome" is a misnomer. More accurately it is "Lazy Hobbyist Syndrome". We have tanks we've been maintaining for 8 - 11 years and the water is just as good now as it ever was (or better if we took on the customer with a tank that was already a nightmare.)
Jenn
