Whats’s going on Salt-Nation, Jeff Hesketh here… and Today I want to write an article taking on the subject of Old Tank Syndrome. So here we are, Your saltwater aquarium has been up and running for a few years. Your aquarium is looking great, so you’ve ramp down on your amount of water changes and water parameter tests. You’ve found your groove… or have you!?
What you can’t see from looking at your aquarium is the slow and steady decline, a silent killer has set its eyes on the destruction of a maturing reef aquarium. This silent killer is referred to as Old Tank Syndrome but should it be called something else?
What is Old Tank Syndrome?
The term “Old Tank Syndrome” is used by many hobbyist to refer to water quality issues within the aquarium. Most commonly, these issues are the result of high nitrate levels. Overtime high nitrate levels have a huge impact on the health of your fish, corals and invertebrates. If left unchecked, high nitrate levels cannot be efficiently removed through conventional methods
Maybe it’s LARS: Lazy Ass Reefer Syndrome
LARS (Lazy Ass Reefer Syndrome) in short, is being lazy about the care you give your saltwater aquarium. The tank is established, There’s no new corals or fish going in the tank, the lighting turns on in the morning and turn off in the night, routine has set in, the honeymoon is over.
Old tank syndrome is the boogeyman, It’s a term made up to explain (or blame) poor aquarium husbandry on something else. Simply put, aquarium husbandry is a term used by advanced and expert aquarium hobbyist to define the care of an aquarium.
How to Beat Old Tank Syndrome aka LARS
Rather than combating the effects of Old Tank Syndrome, it’s best to stop it before it starts by performing routine aquarium maintenance. If we can look at much like we do with preventing aquarium pest and stop it before it starts, we’ll be ahead of the game. Regular aquarium maintenance, regular water changes, water parameter testing and cleaning aquarium equipment.
Here are some ways to avoid LARS:
- Have a good routine with aquarium maintenance
- Reaquascape your live rock in your aquarium
- replace and buy new aquarium equipment
- Frag corals for trade or sale
The biggest way to overcome LARS is to see what you can improve about your current system. If your saltwater aquarium have been up and running for 5+ years there is sure to be some advancements with something to peak your interest.
Old Tank Syndrome Conclusion
So, there you have it, beating old tank syndrome really comes down to improving your aquarium’s husbandry. I have a free ebook available when you sign up for my newsletterthat will give you 20 ways to overcome LARS. Let me know what you think, If I left anything out be sure to leave a comment below.
I just wanted to say thank you for your support and I would love for you to drop me a line on my Facebook Page. I look forward to meeting you.
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