Questions about 'Old Tank Syndrome'??

[DLV082]

Thanks Kashta, The link was very informative. After reading that article have to wonder how many fish that died when coming home were actually sick fish or fish that just were not used to clean water. Food for thought, does anyone bother testing the water that their fish came home in or just acclimatise them thinking that all will be ok. Is 15 mins to 1 hrs depending on how you acclimate your fish really enough if the water they came from was discusting in the first place???

Cheers

 

[KarlTh]

OTS has some other complications. If water is soft, then despite the concentrating effect of the lack of water changes, the KH can actually become depleted so that pH drops. If this occurs, then the following result:

1. lack of bicarbonate prevents the filter bacteria from working;
2. low pH also inhibits the bacteria;
3. ammonium builds up.

The low pH keeps the ammonium from becoming ammonia, so the fish are not poisoned by it. However, one of the killers is doing a large water change at this point; the result is that KH and pH are raised, ammonium turns to ammonia and the fish are acutely poisoned. The finger is often pointed at the pH rise (so called pH shock which probably doesn't even exist) when the real cause is the ammonia.

 

[McLendon]

Save a fish use a test kit.it's good to keep a clean tank.it's better to keep the tank right
I stoped killing fish
When I started doing water changes and filter cleaning based on my water test numbers,not a time line in my head.test water daily use a good test kit that has test tubes not test strips

 

[dalton]

i had old tank sydrome with an alge eater i took the filter out quit changing and adding water and he still thrived