If you read our care sheet about setting up a brand new aquarium, you may have heard about something we called “New Tank Syndrome.” In addition to that there is something called “Old Tank Syndrome” which happens after an aquarium has been set up for many months, or even years.

One of the biggest mistakes that many beginner and even long-time hobbyists make is that they stop giving their aquarium the same amount of attention and maintenance they used to when it was new.

Everything looks clear and healthy from the outside, so you've relaxed your water-changing and water-testing schedules, trusting your filter to maintain good water quality. Looks however can be extremely misleading. What you can't see from the outside is the slow and steady decline in water quality, which eventually leads to the decline in the health and well being of your fish.

There is one very important routine that needs to be performed when maintaining your aquarium, unfortunately (for your fish) it is the one single thing that most aquarium hobbyists absolutely refuse to do.

Water Changes.

Nothing is more important in aquarium keeping than water quality management. Even with the best power filters available, fish produce wastes that build up in the water and can eventually kill them. There are many excellent products available out there to assist in water quality management, but one thing there is not is a replacement for regular partial water changes.

Maintaining good water quality is the single most important thing that you can do to ensure the health of your fish.

This may sound a little redundant, but this one simple fact can not be stressed enough. If you want healthy and happy fish and a beautiful crystal clear aquarium, a regular schedule of partial water changes is the solution.

Ammonia, is the #1 fish killer there is. Ammonia is produced by decomposition of uneaten food and also by fish with the waste they produce. Ammonia is very toxic to fish; therefore, it should be one of the main pollutants to monitor.

If a tank has proper filtration, has regular water changes and is not overstocked with fish that are overfed, then ammonia should not be a problem. The ammonia level should be zero in a healthy tank. We sell Ammonia Test Kits from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals or if you want you can bring in a sample of your water and we will test it for you. (Just make sure that the aquarium water you bring in is in a clean container and has no fish in it.)

Old Tank Syndrome

Many aquarium hobbyists find out they have Old Tank Syndrome only when they try to introduce new fish to their aquarium. They purchase a brand new fish, bring it home and then within a few days it dies. The common response is usually “well all my other fish are doing just fine, it must be something wrong with the new fish.”

That is not always the case, the fish that you have had in your tank for a longer time period have been able to adjust slowly to the declining water quality. However to new fish, these poor conditions are a shock to the system, often causing them to succumb to weakness and disease.

The best way to keep your fish healthy and your aquarium crystal clear is through routine partial water changes.

For best results replace 20-25% of your aquarium water twice a month. A gravel vacuum (such as Lee’s Gravel Vac’s) clean the tank while changing the water. It uses the pull of the draining water to suck debris from the gravel.

Next fresh, de-chlorinated tap water should be added to your aquarium. We recommend using either Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Stress Coat brand of chlorine remover.

In between water changes using Nutrafin Waste Control in combination with Nutrafin Cycle, can help keep your water clear and help control ammonia spikes.

Recommended Products:
Lee's Gravel Vac
Python Products No Spuill, Clean & Fill Gravel Vacums
API Stress Coat
API Stress Zyme (for biological bacteria)
Nutrafin Cycle (for biological bacteria)
Nutrafin Waste Control
API Ammonia Test Kit