Old Tank Syndrome | New Tank Syndrome

Rapid Nitrate Reduction Method

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High nitrate accumulation is a common problem for aquaria keepers. It is sometimes referred to as Old Tank Syndrome . But it can also a problem for new tank setups that have recently finished their nitrogen cycle too.  In recently established tanks it is called New Tank Syndrome and hobbyist will notice a similar but often milder experience as those with Old Tank Syndrome. Both often will have high nitrate accumulation and usually occur when regular maintenance and water change routines have not been fully established or are ignored. It may take our Rapid Nitrate Reduction Method to get back on track. The best way to avoid Old Tank or  New Tank Syndrome is with proper Husbandry and Water Changes .

Old Tank Syndrome

Old Tank Syndrome occurs to tanks that have been in service a long period. But could occur in as little as a few months. What usually happens is something like this... The tank  has cycled, the Angelfish and tank mates are doing well. Everything is going as great as when it all started, but after a while the excitement of the newness begins to wear off. Some hobbyist no longer rush home to their tank, and the desire to meet every need of the fish has diminished to the point where they just seem to be going through the motions. The honeymoon is over and they have started take their tanks health for granted.

Many an unwary aquarist has been rudely awakened to Old Tank Syndrome when they attempt to add new fish to their existing stock. Many times these new fish are shocked upon introduction to this  harsh environment. They will be seen darting as if they were trying to swim away to some fresher water.  Some simply perish within a few hours. Others may survive the initial shock, but the acute stress of this harsh environment weakens them, making them more susceptible to infection. Disease causing parasites may be so successful at attacking these weakened fish that they quickly multiply to epidemic proportions, and wreak havoc among the original tank residents as well.

Hobbyist are sometimes inclined to blame the pet store dealer for selling sick fish when Old Tank Syndrome may be the true cause. The aquarist may not have lost any fish or seen a sign of disease in several months or maybe years before making this purchase. Sometimes hobbyist assume that there is nothing wrong with their aquarium based on the assumption that all the fish would been dead.  But that isn't necessarily the case. The original inhabitants had the opportunity to become slowly accustomed to waste buildup. The hardier specimens adapted to the chronic stress and survived. Weaker individuals were overcome one at a time, perhaps over a period of months, and their deaths attributed to natural causes.

Perhaps the most important concept to remember is that our home aquariums are closed systems. With few exceptions, everything we put in the aquarium stays there, in one form or another, until we take it out. That can of flake food, those bottles of water conditioner, and the chemicals present in the tap water are all still in there in the tank unless we have taken steps to remove them.

The process that reduces ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate also produce an abundance of hydrogen ions. These ions when left to their own accord, acidify the water over a period of time. In water from some sources that contain few buffers such as well water these lack the ions that help stabilize pH by combining with excess hydrogen or hydroxyl ions. The pH of tank water will tend to decline steadily just as the nitrate  increases. Regular pH testing may help alert the aquarist to impending trouble but not as well as testing for nitrates . However, in more heavily buffered water a even more threatening phenomenon occurs. As hydrogen ions are produced, they are immediately tied up by the buffer ion, and the pH remains roughly the same - until all the buffer ions are used up. At this point, the pH drops rapidly, and this sudden "pH crash" can be very damaging to fish. While the high nitrate levels may be already stressing tank inhabitants.

If this process is allowed to continue a few, very hardy fish may survive because they have become acclimated to these poor water conditions slowly. Another interesting biochemical phenomena occurs. At a pH of about 5.5 or less, the bacteria that usually convert ammonia to nitrite are inhibited, so ammonia levels begin to rise. Strangely, though, the low pH actually protects the remaining fish by keeping the ammonia in the non-toxic ammonia molecular form instead of the very toxic ammonium ionic form. It is not uncommon to see an old, neglected tank with a pH reading off the bottom of the chart, ammonia and nitrate off the top, and a couple of  stressed fish still swimming about.

Some aquariums receive little maintenance, and  are only topped off regularly with additional water to replace that which has evaporated. If the source water is buffered and its addition frequent, the pH crash and resultant ammonia rise might be forestalled, but a new problem is encountered. When water evaporates, only pure, clean, H2O leaves the system; all the other minerals and impurities are left behind in the aquarium. Adding more tap water means adding more minerals. By definition buffered water has significant amounts of minerals and in effect concentrates them further. Such aquariums often show acceptable pH and ammonia levels, but high nitrates and hardness. Performing small and infrequent water changes will not remove enough of these accumulated minerals and nitrates to improve your water quality.

Angelfish that survive such declining water quality often become mere shadows of what they could be. Poor water conditions limit growth and color, and may contribute to conditions that cause bacteria to effect Angelfish health. The old  myth that states "a fish will only grow to the size of its container" may well be attributed to the stunting that occurs in poorly maintained aquariums. Other fish may appear to remain unaffected, at least to the casual observer, while others waste away. Angelfish fry are particular susceptible to poor water conditions.

If a tank is found to be experiencing Old Tank Syndrome, water changes are the treatment of choice, but care must be taken not to attempt too great a change at once under certain conditions. Sudden changes in environment can be stressful to fish, even if the changes are for the better. Fortunately, Angelfish adapt to improved water conditions much better than poorer water quality. However it must be noted that in an aquarium that has already gone into the low pH and a high ammonia phase, a rise in pH will change non- toxic ammonia into lethal ammonium and could lead to catastrophe. Frequent water changes of 20% to 40% are safer and as effective as large 50% to 90% water changes. Constant monitoring of pH, ammonia and nitrate are highly recommended during this process when replacement water and tank water pH differ greatly. The addition of an ammonia detoxifier is recommended If ammonia levels become  elevated while pH is being raised due to  a water change.  Perform only small daily water changes for a few days to allow  the ammonia eating bacteria a chance to catch up. Click here for a detailed method of rapid Nitrate Reduction .

New Tank Syndrome

New Tank Syndrome while similar to Old Tank Syndrome but is much milder. Usually hobbyist will not encounter the mineral buildup or pH swings of Old Tank Syndrome. High nitrate accumulation is the common problem. Ammonia and then nitrites often build up to high levels while the nitrogen cycle is being established. This later equates to a high nitrate accumulation soon after a tank is established.

Many an unwary aquarist has been rudely awakened to New Tank Syndrome when they attempt to add new fish to their existing stock. Many times these new fish are shocked upon introduction to this very  harsh environment. They will be seen darting as if they were trying to swim away to some fresh water.  Some simply perish within a few hours. Others may survive the initial shock, but the acute stress of this harsh environment weakens them, making them more susceptible to infection. Disease causing parasites may well be so successful at attacking these weakened fish that they quickly multiply to epidemic proportions, and wreak havoc on the original residents as well.

Hobbyist are sometimes inclined to blame the pet store dealer for selling sick fish when New Tank Syndrome may be the true cause. The aquarist may not have lost any fish or seen a sign of disease in several months or maybe years before making this purchase. Sometimes hobbyist assume that there is nothing wrong with their aquarium based on the assumption that all the fish would been dead.  But that isn't necessarily the case. The original inhabitants had the opportunity to become slowly accustomed to waste buildup. The hardier specimens adapted to the chronic stress and survived. Weaker individuals were overcome one at a time, perhaps over a period of months, and their deaths attributed to natural causes.

If a tank is found to be experiencing New Tank Syndrome, water changes are the treatment of choice, but care must be taken not to attempt too great a change at once under certain conditions. Sudden changes in environment can be stressful to fish, even if the changes are for the better. Fortunately, Angelfish adapt to improved water conditions much better than poorer water quality. However it must be noted that in an aquarium that has already gone into the low pH and a high ammonia phase, a rise in pH will change non- toxic ammonia into lethal ammonium and lead to catastrophe. Frequent water changes of 20% to 40% are safer and as effective as large 50% to 90% water change. Constant monitoring of pH, ammonia and nitrate are highly recommended during this process when replacement water and tank water pH differ greatly. The addition of an ammonia detoxifier is recommended If ammonia levels become  elevated while pH is being raised due to  a water change.  Perform only small daily water changes for a few days to allow  the ammonia eating bacteria a chance to catch up. Click here for a detailed method of rapid Nitrate Reduction .

Tanks that have a pH in the same range as their replacement water pH range can benefit from a widely used Nitrate Reduction Method. Some aquarist who are not familiar this method may be concern that the rapid reduction of nitrates will shock Angelfish. This is an understandable concern, but under the extreme  circumstances  of New Tank Syndrome rapid reduction of potentially harmful toxins in a tank is of of the utmost importance, and a lot less harmless. Imagine what it would be like to stand in a closed garage with a car engine running, the garage filling with carbon monoxide, and someone telling you not to open the  garage door too far.  The rapid reduction in carbon monoxide levels would be less harmful to you than only reducing their levels by 20%. If it were you in that situation,  wouldn't you want as much fresh air as possible? Rapid nitrate reduction in most instances can be performed safely.

Here at the AMH we caution against cleaning filters within 24 hours of all major water changes. We consider exchanging more that 40 percent at one time as a major water change. Doing so may interrupt the nitrogen cycle by reducing the number of nitrifying bacteria colonized in the filter media. This could cause a spike in ammonia and nitrite levels or both. The presence of either can will cause Angelfish to become stressed or die. Fortunately nitrifying bacteria populations recover quickly. Major water changes may be performed 24 hours after filter cleanings.

Tanks that have a pH in the same range as their replacement water pH range can benefit from this widely used Nitrate Reduction Method. Some aquarist who are not familiar this method may be concern that the rapid reduction of nitrates will shock Angelfish. This is an understandable concern, but under the extreme  circumstances  of New or Old Tank Syndrome rapid reduction of potentially harmful toxins in a tank is of the utmost importance, and a lot less harmless than doing nothing. Just remember to always add replacement water of a similar pH and temperature slowly. Use plenty of high quality dechlorinator that meets your water requirements to detoxify chlorine and highly toxic chloramine. Monitor your tank and fish carefully.

Water changes are our treatment of choice to lower nitrates, but care must be taken not to attempt too great a change at once under certain conditions. Sudden changes in environment can be stressful to fish, even if the changes are for the better. Fortunately, Angelfish adapt to improved water conditions much better than poorer water quality. However it must be noted that in an aquarium that has already gone into the low pH and a high ammonia phase, a rise in pH will change non- toxic ammonia into lethal ammonium and could lead to catastrophe. Frequent water changes of 20% to 40% are safer and as effective as large 50% to 90% water change over time. Constant monitoring of pH, ammonia and nitrate are highly recommended during this process when replacement water and tank water pH differ greatly. The addition of an ammonia detoxifier is recommended If ammonia levels become  elevated while pH is being raised due to  a water change.  Perform only small daily water changes for a few days to allow  the ammonia eating bacteria a chance to catch up. When pH ranges become similar rapid nitrate reduction can be attempted but with caution.

The graphic below shows the Rapid Nitrate Reduction Method. It is a multiple step water change procedure that allows high nitrate accumulation to be reduced in hours instead of days or even weeks. Always remember to add replacement water of a similar pH and temperature slowly. This method calls for the removal of a substantial amount of water. The use of a water changer is suggested for larger tanks or more than one tank. Due to the low water levels used in this method it is suggested that heaters, filters and other appliances be disconnected from electrical power. Protect all filters from becoming dry and the loss of nitrifying bacteria. A through tank cleaning is also helpful prior to rapid nitrate reduction.
 
 

Rapid Nitrate Reduction Remove 80% of old tank water Add dechlorinator to detoxify 2x the remaining tank water Double the remaining tank water with replacement water Remove 50% the remaining tank water Add dechlorinator to detoxify the remaining tank water Double the remaining tank water with replacement water Remove 50% the remaining tank water Add dechlorinator to detoxify the remaining tank water Start final refilling with replacement water Add dechlorinator to detoxify a full tank Finish filling tank with replacement water