The "Old Tank" Syndrome

Feature Article: The "Old Tank" Syndrome

Now that a tank no longer needs to be broken down and tanks are being maintained for long periods of time a new "syndrome" is starting to show itself. For lack of a better term the situation is being called the "Old Tank Syndrome." This syndrome is not as dramatic as the new tank syndrome where all of the fish died, but it can be just as unsettling to the tank's owner.

By Mike Paletta

Recurring themes are watching nutrients, water changes, close observation. - Scott

 

That is a wonderful article. You know I am going through a little aglae problem and I do everything I am supposed to do and I have tried it all and still I have no idea what is causing the problem.

 

OTS has been around since I can recall hell Albert Theil did a book on it in the mid to late 70's and Herbert Axelrod and Spotte I think also did many papers on it in the late 60's early 70's . There are signs of it as a rule about 8 to 10 yrs is when it rears its head and with A DSB or Plenum its 3 or so yrs. Its caused or brought on by the tanks ability to buffer the water is exhausted.

The sand and rocks have dissolved all they have that was beneficial and there ain't no more then they start to leech out all the metals and toxins they have absorbed over the yrs like metals and other elements. Its starts with a constant low or falling P.H and it will not hold steady hair alga's and other algae problems water take on a funny look of light tea color and other issues Hell I could write a book about it . But its Nothing New about the term or condition known as OTS its been here since I can remember..

 

I think some of the reasons for this are lack of water testing, parameter ideals, and the lull associated with us due to our, cockiness if you will, and the development of bad habits and cutting corners, that we initially did not equate with. With months to years of proven success, and good habits...they can become a crutch and we soon show a lack of doing these pertinent rules/good habits that were initially what made our tanks so nice originally.

 

No person or tank can avoid this from happening. Sooner or later Time consumes everything thats all there is to it. Its common sense if you step back and look at it.. I had this disagreement with the infamous sand man Dr .. yrs ago. Look what he are dealing with here is a little glass box of saltwater. And what I've found is DSB Plenum's heavy additive douser will kill their tanks faster then those who don't. Its a very deep subject. But at the end of the day the Rocks are a metal sink as is the sand and they have about totally given up their good stuff and are saturated with bad stuff and sooner or later it will get out. People who feel skimming and carbon strips the water and will not use them find this out sooner rather then later. The Dr used to talk down skimmers then carbon LOL. But that idea killed his DSB faster and several times..

To make it simple a aquarium is nothing but a septic tank and all that waste builds up and goes acidic this is where the carbonates become exhausted they did their job. Then they hobbyist starts starts to toss in more Bicarbonates and this is just fuel on the fire. Bicarbonates sodium are somewhat acidic once the carbonates are used up.. Then the algae comes then the DOC Build up the and skimmer is kicking in on overtime if they have one ? And the water has that look to it once you ever experience or see it you'll know what it is next ever But its just a solids build up from all the waste of the food that was threw in over the yrs and passed out by the animals.. Remember it all stays in the septic tank as bio sludge until the tank need to be pumped out! Everything that goes into the little box of water stays in that box all we can do at best it prolong it failure. Like at Birth everything starts dieing.

Water changes will help prolong it but no more then lots of good carbon and aggresive skimming. But in the end it dies..Bottom line some just sooner then others It gets us all just like death and taxes

 

Nemo what are the average daily alk and ca levels of your tank ? Do you have a P.H monitor ? I think you are suffering form low dissolved carbonate Not bi carbonates i.e Arm and hammer baking soda What you need to dose is Arm and Hammer washing soda find it in the laundry isle of a store and add to Tbl spoons dissolved in R/O water and get the P.H up to 8.6 to 8,8 you will see the algae burn out.. Washing soda will not tweak the DKH just the P.H But dose just the 2 Tablespoons daily until you get the P.H up there and keep it steady as you can That where the Borate comes in Mule team Boraxo Laundry Booster LOL its on the same detergent isle LOL.. I had been fighting a algae problem that was here long before myself and I just ran this treatment and poof its 90 % gone now and whats left is turning brown .

 

the oldest tank keeper on rc claims he avoids ots by adding new bacteria from time to time.he wades out in the ocean in ny and collects various sand samples and other things.he claims over time some bacterias die off and in a closed system like our reef tanks theres no new bacterias enter the system.it works for him.

 

What is a good measurment for other size systems?

 

very interesting read. Thanks.