It's that they have different needs and get in each other's ways, you see. A mixed tank is doable, but you have to fully understand the dynamics involved and know how to work with them.
"The Reef Aquarium, Volume THREE" ( Spung/DelBeek ) is a very good book for a guy contemplating the construction of a new reef setup. It goes into great detail about all the various types of reef setups, and compares and contrasts them, and gives you all the real nuts and bolts info you need to build the system of your choice. It doesn't cover much about the critters like most other reefkeeping books, but that's why it can cover all the stuff usually left out of all the other books. It's kinda pricey, but Amazon had them on sale the last I checked.
The Fenner/Calfo book "Invertebrates" is another very good book indeed, and pretty much a must-have for any would-be reefkeeper. It is also one of the most truly useful reef books on the market at present, and it makes a good companion to the first book, each covering the stuff largely omitted by the other while re-enforcing the things they share with a different angle.
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