# Old Tank Syndrome



## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

(To skip the sappy boring part, scroll to the "Help!") This is a bit of a confession, along with a help request. I guess I'd been a bit of a hypocrite, and had let my tank go. It's been a long work in progress, but I guess it was part depression that made me lose my motivation and I lost faith in the project. So I just stopped worrying about it. Especially when the algae outbreak hit. I turned off the lights, and said "Maybe it'll all just go away if I keep the lights off long enough." I would top off the water when the filters got dangerously close to spewing out of the tank, but aside from that I really didn't pay attention to it. Occasionally I would flip on the lights and do a head count, but that was about the full extent of my fish watching.

I had convinced myself that water changes were optional, that poo on the sand was just a natural occurance, and that algae was just part of the decor. Then it hit me. Thanks to some of the outstanding people in my life, I realized that I had abandoned something that I truly loved. I've been re-inspired, and this time with even more zeal than I had before. But, that's not the point of this thread.

(Help!)

Here's where my trouble comes in now. I've been doing water changes like crazy. There was so much poo in the tank that every time I refill after a water change more poo floats out from some crevice. So I continue to siphon it every time I see it, in hopes that I'll eventually get it in check. I'm making sure all the water is the correct temperature, and it's all treated and buffered. Yet, the shock from all the changes, when the fish are used to such an untouched environment, has killed off 2 fish already. I lost a Brevis, and my beloved Calvus , who was finally starting to get to a decent size. My question is, how do I continue practicing good aquarium maintenance without losing any more fish? I realize I'll stop losing them when everything is balanced again, but how long will that take?

I've only been changing about 15-20 gallons at a time, at the most. I figured that was small enough that it wouldn't drastically effect them, but I guess I was wrong. Are there any precautionary actions I can take to make sure I don't lose anything else?


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## Chrispixx (Dec 23, 2008)

Superfly724 said:


> I've been doing water changes like crazy. There was so much poo in the tank that every time I refill after a water change more poo floats out from some crevice. So I continue to siphon it every time I see it, in hopes that I'll eventually get it in check.


Well i am not sure how you are siphoning the tank, i assume some sort of gravel siphon tube and hose? this is fine for the most part but in your situation you need to siphon it into a clean bucket or buckets, plastic tub or whatever will work but *filter* it as it comes out of the hose into the bucket. 

use some clean socks put together one inside the other (rinse them out good to be sure) or a plastic cup with small holes in the bottom filled with some filter material and clamp it to the side of the bucket/tub. 

this way you can re-introduce the same water that has been siphoned/filtered back into the tank, let it the tank settle and repeat until the bottom is clean. if you have several clean buckets/tubs you can get that much more done. by doing this procedure you are accomplishing the cleaning of the bottom of the tank with out replacing too much water at one time. after you get it clean enough then you can commence with weekly/bi-weekly water changes or whatever your routine was.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Aerating the new water for 2 days before use helps a lot.


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## Superfly724 (Sep 16, 2007)

Well, I guess I'm doing something right. I've continued with daily water changes of around 5 gallons or so. My sand is turning green again, but I'm assuming I'm just going to have to live with that. But I haven't lost any other fish, and I came in tonight to discover this in the corner. =D My Leleupi had been laying eggs before, but all the fry got eaten every time and once I started to let my tank slip they stopped laying the eggs.


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