Some aquarium owners consider that their aquarium is a one-time
investment, but after a few months, some change in it becomes mandatory. It is
not that the tank is not clean or there is an excessive algae problem, but, due
to the unhygienic condition of the aquarium itself, the chemistry of water will
be changed. As a result, fishes will not be healthy enough.
How
to Know Your Aquarium Has Old Aquarium Syndrome
- Excessive nitrate and phosphate level even after cleaning and water changing
- The hardness of water is not according to the guidelines even after making the adjustments
- pH level will fall to acidic
- Carbonate level will also vary right after one or two days of making the adjustments
- Any new fish will die
Remember, you can change the water frequently or clean it once a week to
reduce nitrate or phosphate, which will ultimately give stress to the fishes.
Opt for partial cleaning to reduce this stress.
Causes
of Old Aquarium Syndrome
According to the name, it is very clear that the aquarium is not a
healthy place for the fishes any more as it has incurable problems. The
aquariums are like the houses, and as old houses become unhygienic due to
improper maintenance, the aquariums too become unhygienic for the fishes.
Another cause of old aquarium syndrome is the lack of cleaning. The
uneaten food particles and fish wastes may be stuck to the bottom of the
aquarium. As a result, the water you are pouring every time is getting
unhealthy. Actually, every time you skip the cleaning, it gets more and more
difficult for you the clean the dirt because it stuck in the gravels as well as
to the bottom of the aquarium.
Owners may be negligent as they have already fitted a filter in their
aquarium. This reason is very common for not cleaning the aquariums. Filter
indeed cleans but filter does not necessarily clean the chemicals like nitrate
or phosphate which directly mix up in the water and pollutes the water. That
results in the trouble of the fishes.
Well, all this do not happen in a day, and the fish get enough time to
cope up with the changes in the aquarium. That’s why they survive, but a new
fish will not be able to cope up with this and die soon.
Cures
of This Syndrome
As it is recommended not to make any extreme changes at once, slow
changes will help to cure this old aquarium syndrome too. Go for partial water
changing and change 10% to 15% water every day. Every time you do partial water
changing, make sure you test the water for nitrate level, phosphate level, and
pH balance. Alternatively, you can go for stabilizing to make visible changes.
This testing is very necessary to know whether the adjustments you are making
are giving any positive result or not.
Things
to Follow To Stop This Syndrome from Coming Back
It will not be wrong, to sum up, that old tank syndrome is a result of
human negligence, and we can actually prevent this syndrome by being more
careful. Sounds weird? Maybe, but, it is a fact that you can prevent this by
scheduled cleaning and testing. Partial water change needs to be done each week
to prevent a major problem. Fitting the filter will not solve these problems.
You can try manual cleaning as well to stop this syndrome from coming back.
Keep a record of the testing so that you can understand the small
changes. It will allow you to take preventive measures without wasting any
time. Testing is given more importance here because you may not observe the minor
differences, which testing will show.
