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Thread: Old tank syndrome..true or false?

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    Master Reefer SaltyDawg's Avatar
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    Old tank syndrome..true or false?

    I've read a few write-ups about people who have had a tank crash after a few years and call it old tank syndrome. Is it possible to "wear out" the sand and rock to the point where it works against you instead of being a beneficial part of the filtration. If so what is the remedy and how do you know when to step in before it's to late?

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    Grand Master Reefer CarmieJo's Avatar
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    Well, at this point in time my 54 has been going for 5 years and seems to be in fine shape. I make it a habit to disturb part of the sandbed each time I do a water change. I have siphoned part of my sand out and added new a couple of times. I can't exactly say how much sand, I just took a plate size section down to the bottom and replaced it. At the same time I added some extra to boost the depth of the sandbed. It's about time to do that again. I have all the same rock I started out with.
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    Insightful Reefer AZDesertRat's Avatar
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    My current system is over 7 years old and still 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates and going strong. I have a 5-6" 330lb Southdown Deep Sand Bed and unlike Carmie I never disturb it. If it needs any surface cleaning I vacuum it in very small sections and never more than 1/8 to 1/4" deep so I do not disturb the anoxic and anaerobic zones. Its still as white as the day I added it and the sand bed life is amazing.
    My previous system was 13 years old and had fish in it that were there from the beginning when I sold the complete turnkey system to tile my home and build the current system.

    I don't believe in old tank syndrome myself, I think its either the result of too little maintenance or messing with it too much and disturbing the beneficail bacterias.

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    Master Reefer SaltyDawg's Avatar
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    It didnt make much sence to me why people would put so much time,effort and money into a tank if it was inevitably going to crash. So whenever I hear the term "old tank syndrome" I'll take it as most likely human error.

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