New Tank Syndrome

New Tank Syndrome

The loss of fish in an aquarium that is under two months old is called the New Tank Syndrome or NTS. Let us understand, what actually happens in an aquarium that we term as New Tank Syndrome? What causes New Tank Syndrome? What are the ways to avoid it, or how to deal with it?

What is New Tank Syndrome? As an enthusiastic and careful aquarist, you may experience something like this. You bring the nicest and the biggest available tank, install the best Aquarium Equipment, and accessorize your tank beautifully. Next, you fill the aquarium carefully with water after treating it well and rightly. Overall, your aquarium is in the desired form with the right water quality. Finally, you buy some very healthy fish and acclimatize them to their new home. Everything looks in perfect order for 4-5 days when suddenly you realize that the fishes seem unwell. The Filter seems okay, yet the water in the tank is turning White with some fishes even collapsing. This condition of fishes is the New Tank Syndrome.

What causes the New Tank Syndrome? Keeping aquarium is like trying to keep a sort of small eco-system in order. There are minute details of eco-system that one cannot overlook. We know the importance of Bacteria in an ecosystem and aquariums are not untouched by the Bacterial games. In the case of NTS also, it is the Bacteria, which is the root cause of this problem. However, interestingly enough, it is not the presence of Bacteria, but their absence, which causes the condition called the New Tank Syndrome.

Fishes are very good in eating and pooping out. The waste of a fish is very rich in toxic Ammonia. This Ammonia does not flush out from the system (aquarium), but fortunately, nature has provided a solution for this. There are Bacteria, known as Nitrosomonas, which convert Ammonia to another toxic form, Nitrites. Now, other Bacteria, Nitrobacter, convert Nitrite into less harmful Nitrates, which can be eliminated from the tank through periodic water change.

Ways to avoid New Tank Syndrome. What you have to do to avoid New Tank Syndrome is to try developing similar eco-system in your aquarium as exists in the nature. Now, if you will closely review your aquarium, you will find that you have every best possible thing to the best of your ability. Now, all you need to do to eliminate the New Tank Syndrome is to develop or cultivate the Nitrogen Cycling Bacteria.

The beneficial Bacteria we are talking about exist everywhere in the nature. The best place though to get the initial lot of these Bacteria is from an old, established tank, where they are abundantly found on the walls of the Tank, the Gravel, the Rocks, the other Aquarium Accessories, and on the inner walls of a Filter. Take a cup of any of the above-mentioned stuff from the old tank and introduce them in the new aquarium as such, without cleaning them. The beneficial Bacteria grow and begin to colonize in the tank. In a month’s time, your aquarium will have decent quantity of these beneficial Bacteria.

Alternatively, you may introduce a single hardy fish in the new tank and wait for the Bacteria to grow inside the tank. Actually, these Bacteria thrive on Ammonia and Nitrite, which is richly contained in the Fish waste. This principle applies to the new tank and soon these Bacteria begin to grow by themselves. As the White cloudy appearance from the water starts to disappear, it implies that the Bacteria are on. You may now add another couple of hardy fishes and allow the substantial amount of Bacteria to develop before adding more fishes. The whole process may take around a couple of months. This requires a lot of patience and for amateur; it is the most difficult thing. However, as they say, it is the patience, which is the key of the game.

Additionally, to keep NTS at bay, do not overstock your aquarium, avoid over feeding your fish, and keep your aquarium maintenance regular, including water changes.

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