Do Reef Tanks Get Too Old?

[Anonymous]

I have a 55 gal reef that's been in operation since 92. Several calamities have happened throughout the years, but it always comes through. Its been my tool for learning to keep my other tanks happy and healthy. Its also been my "baby" as it was my first.

Lately its been looking "tired". I can't explain whats wrong. It just doesn't look right. Ya know how you get to know your critters and their moods? So the queation is: Is there point to where it's beneficial to tear a tank down and start over? Or is it a phase? The water parameters look ok. So I don't know. I just read today that you should recharge your sand bed every two years or so. I've not done that. Would that help?

Additionally I heard, read it here I think, that glass tanks need to swapped out periodically so they don't leak. This tank has been continous operation for almost 10 years. On top of that it was used when I got it, but I don't know for how long.

People with older tanks let me know...

Greg

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's probably important to give your tank an occasional "diversity boost" - maybe swap some of your live rock with another hobbyist's (one that has lots of nice critters), or perhaps exchange scoops of tank sand.

Or of course you could add a little new live rock, live sand, or microcritters...

 

[Anonymous]

A large water change might help.

 

[Anonymous]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cheese Sandwich:
<STRONG>I think it's probably important to give your tank an occasional "diversity boost" - maybe swap some of your live rock with another hobbyist's (one that has lots of nice critters), or perhaps exchange scoops of tank sand.

Or of course you could add a little new live rock, live sand, or microcritters...</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Here's a quote from Ron Shimek's article at:
http://www.rshimek.com/reef/sediment.htm

regarding keeping your sandbed healthy:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>
The only real problem with a sand bed is the reduction in diversity as the bed ages. This is caused by extinction and replacement problems because the volume of our beds is simply too small for some species to generate self-sustaining populations. This is remedied, by purchasing a detritivore or recharge kit or two every year or so to give a boost to the fauna.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Here are two articles from past issues of Aquarium Frontiers by Terry Siegel that address this issue:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1998/dec/outer/default.asp
http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/jan/outer/default.asp

 

[olgakurt]

I agree with the large water change or a series of large changes.

Most people do not have old tanks due to moving. I had one that went 10+ years but had to tear it down in the move. BTW, still using the same glass tank.

 

[SuperLeet]

get some garf grunge! That stuff is awesome
little starfish and spaghetty worms, plum lots of new kinds of coraline

 

[Giarc]

GDawson,

I've read that Dr Ron shimek is preparing to do a study on 'old-tank syndrome' by getting water samples from hobbyists and getting them scientifically analysed at a laboratory for the presence of heavy metals and many other elements/compounds that there are no hobbyist test kits for. Participants pay for the lab test on their water (I forget the price but it's something in the order of $160-195). Not cheap (and certainly I'd follow the advice about increasing the diversity in your tank) but it may be something you want to consider. You could use the information from your tank to determine if you're getting a toxic accumulation of some trace elements. If it saves tearing down a long-established tank I'd say it was good value! Or at least it would give you more information to make your decision.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Hmmmmmmm. I'm all for scientific study, but for $40 you could change all of the water with fresh salt water, and forget spending $190 to see if you need to change it.

 

[Anonymous]

Whoa! I post and walk away for 10 min and there are 7 replies!

Ok, here's the plan based on resposes. Tell me what ya think:

1)Water change- Now I do a 5 gal water change every two weeks with filtered ocean water. I'm going to do a 15 gal change which is approx a 30%.

2)Recharge the sand bed. I'll swap some rock and sand from my other tanks. I'm also going to order some Garf Grunge. Do the "recharge Kits" of other MO houses contain the same organisms or would I get a diversity by ordering from multiple sources? Who else offers this?

3) I think it would be interesting to participate in the water analysis. I'll do a search for the thread. Hopfully the price isn't that expensive.

Thank all of you that sent me reference URLS to pertinent articles. I'll be reading them tonight during the communte home.

Thanks

Greg

 

[bowfront]

In regards to your tank needing replacing I would say no. I owned a 55g purchased new in 1971 and used just about continuously up until 1999 when I sold it. I suspect its still in use. I never experience any leaks and for the record it was set up with SW from day one. I'm assuming its a glass tank as mine was. I would suggest following some of the above suggestions if you want to pump new blood into your setup. A major water change and maybe some new LR, sand, and/or microcritters should help. Sometimes looking at the same aquascape for an extended period can become boring. You might want to pull your LR apart and re-arrange it along with your corals.

 

[2poor2reef]

Giarc made a key point. I m very interested in old tanks and the problems unique to age. I suspect that the build up of compounds to toxic levels over long periods of time will account for some of what has been termed "old tank syndrome". This study by Shimek will be very interesting and possibly shed some light on this buildup and/or depletion of key trace elements.

Of course you do a large water change but wouldn't you also like to learn about what the problem was in the first place. So that you can more successfully maintain your tank long term. I know that we all would.

I also wonder how these deep sand beds will play out when they get ten or twelve years old. Regardless of re-charge, I would think they might become clogged with inorganic detritus over time. Is it possible they will become a sink of sorts that may not be alleviated by large water changes? I would like to know more.

 

[BerlinMethod.com]

Greg:

I would recommend passing on the Garf Grunge. Search the archives and you will see a lot negative comments about it. I have it and wish I could remove it. There was very little (if any) life in it.

Order the detritivore kits from Inland Aquatics or IPSF.

Regards,
Kris

 

[BerlinMethod.com]

[ August 02, 2001: Message edited by: BerlinMethod.com ]

 

[davelin315]

I have been using the same rock and substrate in my system for around 10 years. I have never noticed any decline in it's quality or any ill affects of it being old (it has been moved multiple times, but I don't know how that would have any real affect on the quality of the rock and substrate). I think you may be getting what I call "reef sickness", or in layman's terms the "my tank is so old, why can't I put in a much larger tank with all of those sps and lps and soft corals like they have in those pictures on the internet, or add some beautiful fish that no one else has, after all, I've been faithful for a long time now, but this one's just worn out" syndrome.

Truth be told, I don't know what the affects are of having an old tank, but I'm sure one day we'll find out. Maybe you could just take a toothbrush out and scrub off some of the rock in your system, or, if there's nothing photosynthetic on it, try this. Take some of it out for about a month and leave it in a dark tank with no lights (keep it filtered though) and then stick it back in. You'll see a big difference in the color of the rock, and it'll brighten things up quite a bit, and maybe you'll get some new organisms that you haven't seen before establishing themselves. It never ceases to amaze me how different my tank looks when I take a rock out of my sump and use it as a base for a frag.

 

[Bobzarry]

this is realy a great thread: One thing I have wondered over the years is this.... is it posible that the organisms and posably even the bacteria in our tanks become week strains from years of in breeding? in the oceans there is plenty of opportunity for diversity and sharing of the genes. But a captured systems meens that the same gene pool is rotated time and time again. All it would take is a few weak genes in some of the original in habitants and over time they would be distributed to all or most of the current inhabitants. would this be correct?


Bob

 

[EmilyB]

You guys just need another, or more tanks...

I already know I can't retire until I am 95 !!

But I can switch rock, critters, at will. Saves a lot of them going back, or elsewhere.

 

[cubera]

Hi, Greg! Great post and congrats on having your reef up for 10 years! This is awesome and it puts your tank in a different league than most because of its age. We are participating in Dr. Shimek's study because we really want to know about 'old tank syndrome' and if it might be linked to an accumulation of toxins or whatever. Previous recommendations are all good just do water changes slowly IMO. Dr. Shimek's link is [email protected] in the event you might want to contribute to the study. HTH.

 

[Emmitt]

I agree that this is a great thread.

Randy, reading that 1/99 AF article made me realize how much I miss the Fishnet of old.

 

[Anonymous]

It's good to hear that glass tanks have a better track record than I thought. I still don't remember where I read that. Oh well....

I'm going to move forward with the water change and sand recharge plan. However, I'm prepared to do a tear down if need be. I have an unused 100gal (I'm a sucker for used tanks at garage sales!)that I'm going to start up with 1/2 the rock/sand/animals and put the other 1/2 back into the 55 and buy new stuff to round out both tanks.

Before all this though I want to contact Dr. Ron as I think that a tank this old may provide some insight. As reefs go it's a pretty simple setup. Were talking Combi-San, Kent Buffer, and SeaChem Calcium for chemical addtions. It has LR, dsb, and a skimmer. I've never used carbon in this system so any build up of toxins/extranious chemicals should be in there.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

congrats on having your reef up for 10 years!

It's funny I started with a FO and lost all 5 blue damsels to cyanide poisoning within 2 days of start up. Didn't know that then so I was mortified that I killed them. SW fish were supposed to be really hard and labor intensive back then.

Now it turns out that you can practically flush a blue damsel and it'll live. Anyway I got onto the Compuserve boards and read. I read everything I could get my hands on. Within a month I was at my LFS asking their opinion on the BERLIN METHOD. "The what?" they stared at me in horror. "OH NO! You HAVE to use something called a Wet/Dry filter or everything will die!" Needless to say that's when I learn to talk to the people actually in the hobby. Since then its been great.

Greg
- 10 years and still learning!