krusk
Member
Read and read again !!!
New Tank Syndrome in Saltwater Aquariums
____________________________________
New tank syndrome is something we can all experience at one time or another. Whether you have a well established aquarium or one that has just finished going through the nitrogen cycling process, it can happen. New tank syndrome is the term used when the amount of ammonia accumulation in an aquarium can no longer be consumed by the nitrifying bacteria growth established in the tank. There are many reasons that new tank syndrome can occur.
One mistake that aquarists make most often is adding too many new tank inhabitants to an aquarium at one time. An overload of too many new additions to the tank will cause a "spike" in the cycling process and you may see the ammonia and nitrites appear again.
For those of you that have an aquarium that has just completed the nitrogen cycle, remember your nitrifying bacteria base is a baby and still growing. Once you have painstakingly gone through the nitrogen cycle, don't get overly excited and start adding all sorts of new animals to your tank. Only one or two new additions should be added at a time. Put them in the tank and then let the tank adjust and settle out again before adding more. Test for ammonia and nitrites after new additions have been added, and when the tests show zero levels, wait about a week or two and then add a couple more new additions.
The same applies if you have a well established aquarium. Don't be fooled. Just because your tank has been running for a long period of time doesn't mean you can just cram a bunch of new inhabitants into the tank without consequences. If the amount of ammonia that the new additions contribute to the tank cannot be properly consumed, your tank can go backwards on you and may result in the same "spiking" complications. Be smart and follow the same protocol.
By new inhabitants we relate this to fishes, inverts, corals, plants and live rock. Live rock can be a real contributor to this problem. So many people think that when they add live rock it immediately becomes a nitrifying media. Wrong! Live rock has many types of plant and animal growth on it and even if it is cured, some die off will take place adding to the bioload as the organic material breaks down. The larger amount of live rock you add, the higher percentage rate new tank syndrome becomes a possibility.
New tank syndrome can be triggered by cleaning substrate or biological media too much. It strips the nitrifying bacteria growth away, weakened your system. The gravel or substrate in a new tank that has just cycled should not be cleaned until the ammonia and nitrite levels have dropped off to zeros. It should only be a mild substrate or surface cleaning the first few times, allowing as much of the bacteria to remain in the tank as possible until it can multiply and strengthen itself.
For an established tank, regular monthly maintenance cleaning is important, but if done to often this can create unwanted problems. For example, bio-balls in a wet/dry trickle filter can trap detritus and organic material in it. Periodic cleaning of the bio-balls is important to prevent an accumulation of high nitrates. It is smart if you want to clean the bio-balls to do it in portions. Clean some, put them back in the filter, let the tank run for a while to rebuild the stripped off nitrifying bacteria, then later clean another portion, and so on. If you were to clean all the bio-balls at once it would remove too much of the needed nitrifying bacteria that allows your tank to function properly.
Using medications in an aquarium is another culprit. Some medications like anti-bacterial treatments are gram positive and gram negative and will kill your bacteria base. Once the bacteria is dead, you now have a "new" tank that has to cycle all over again. Use caution when adding medications in your main aquarium. Using a QT (quarantine tank) to treat sick fish is highly recommended.
Whether you are new at the hobby or not, be wise! Be patient when adding new tank inhabitants to your aquarium, don't remove too much nitrifying bacteria at one time, and watch out for medications. You'll be happy that you did, and so will your other tank inhabitants.
Happy Fish & Reef Keeping,
Debbie & Stan Hauter
Your About Guides to Saltwater Aquariums
New Tank Syndrome in Saltwater Aquariums
____________________________________
New tank syndrome is something we can all experience at one time or another. Whether you have a well established aquarium or one that has just finished going through the nitrogen cycling process, it can happen. New tank syndrome is the term used when the amount of ammonia accumulation in an aquarium can no longer be consumed by the nitrifying bacteria growth established in the tank. There are many reasons that new tank syndrome can occur.
One mistake that aquarists make most often is adding too many new tank inhabitants to an aquarium at one time. An overload of too many new additions to the tank will cause a "spike" in the cycling process and you may see the ammonia and nitrites appear again.
For those of you that have an aquarium that has just completed the nitrogen cycle, remember your nitrifying bacteria base is a baby and still growing. Once you have painstakingly gone through the nitrogen cycle, don't get overly excited and start adding all sorts of new animals to your tank. Only one or two new additions should be added at a time. Put them in the tank and then let the tank adjust and settle out again before adding more. Test for ammonia and nitrites after new additions have been added, and when the tests show zero levels, wait about a week or two and then add a couple more new additions.
The same applies if you have a well established aquarium. Don't be fooled. Just because your tank has been running for a long period of time doesn't mean you can just cram a bunch of new inhabitants into the tank without consequences. If the amount of ammonia that the new additions contribute to the tank cannot be properly consumed, your tank can go backwards on you and may result in the same "spiking" complications. Be smart and follow the same protocol.
By new inhabitants we relate this to fishes, inverts, corals, plants and live rock. Live rock can be a real contributor to this problem. So many people think that when they add live rock it immediately becomes a nitrifying media. Wrong! Live rock has many types of plant and animal growth on it and even if it is cured, some die off will take place adding to the bioload as the organic material breaks down. The larger amount of live rock you add, the higher percentage rate new tank syndrome becomes a possibility.
New tank syndrome can be triggered by cleaning substrate or biological media too much. It strips the nitrifying bacteria growth away, weakened your system. The gravel or substrate in a new tank that has just cycled should not be cleaned until the ammonia and nitrite levels have dropped off to zeros. It should only be a mild substrate or surface cleaning the first few times, allowing as much of the bacteria to remain in the tank as possible until it can multiply and strengthen itself.
For an established tank, regular monthly maintenance cleaning is important, but if done to often this can create unwanted problems. For example, bio-balls in a wet/dry trickle filter can trap detritus and organic material in it. Periodic cleaning of the bio-balls is important to prevent an accumulation of high nitrates. It is smart if you want to clean the bio-balls to do it in portions. Clean some, put them back in the filter, let the tank run for a while to rebuild the stripped off nitrifying bacteria, then later clean another portion, and so on. If you were to clean all the bio-balls at once it would remove too much of the needed nitrifying bacteria that allows your tank to function properly.
Using medications in an aquarium is another culprit. Some medications like anti-bacterial treatments are gram positive and gram negative and will kill your bacteria base. Once the bacteria is dead, you now have a "new" tank that has to cycle all over again. Use caution when adding medications in your main aquarium. Using a QT (quarantine tank) to treat sick fish is highly recommended.
Whether you are new at the hobby or not, be wise! Be patient when adding new tank inhabitants to your aquarium, don't remove too much nitrifying bacteria at one time, and watch out for medications. You'll be happy that you did, and so will your other tank inhabitants.
Happy Fish & Reef Keeping,
Debbie & Stan Hauter
Your About Guides to Saltwater Aquariums