[Paul B]

(I posted as an answer to a question on another forum and I thought it would be interesting to put it here)

My theory of Old Tank Syndrome is two fold.
First off I think that if you are running a DSB you will experience a problem before ten years. But that is a standing debate and can not be confirmed until there are more ten year old DSBs running with no problems. My other theory is the fact that few people add new bacteria from the sea.
I do this all the time, every week in the summer.
It is my theory (and I am sure only mine) that in time the meager strains of bacteria you have in your tank from your LFS will become stagnant and not work for us as well as they should. We tend to think of bacteria as three types but these three types encompass thousands of kinds in each type and the strain you have in your tank may not be the best for our needs.
Your LFS where you aquired your fish from most likely uses ASW and all of his bacteria came from his wholesaler's tanks which are copper treated and over crowded.
I believe my tank would not have lasted as long as it did without new influx of bacteria from the sea.
I sometimes put mud from the sea bed in a dish and put it in my tank. In a few days I remove the dish with the mud as I only want the bacteria.
My nitrates are zero and I run a RUGF.
I am far from meticulous with maintenance and only change water 4 or 5 times a year. My tank is also overcrowded due to breeding experiments.
I can only attribute it to new bacteria.
I may be wrong in my assumptions but I can't think of any other reason.

[ILikeFish]

Have you read about the live mud you can buy? I think it is designed to be left in the sump and replenished periodically. Do you think this will work as well as the stuff you collect and have less risk of introducing unwanted organisms?

[reefman]

i think most the old tank syndrome is due to neglect due to taking it for granted that the tank is doing fine n slacking off until the damages r almost irreverisble.

[Paul B]

Actually I do not. I don't think you can package and sell live bacteria very well.
I know about live mud and I may be 100% wrong. I never tried it since I am surrounded by mud.

[JLAudio]

Paul have you ever had any problems with disease, infections, or problematic pests from all your encorporation of long island livestock?

[Paul B]

jLAudio. I have been using Long Island Sound water, flora and fauna from the sixtees.
My tank has not been affected by paracites in over 25 years. I will even say that I believe this water has something to do with it. My tank doesen't seem to have the problems that I keep reading about. I don't have to check the parameters or use additives. My fish very rarely get any disease and I do not quarantine which would be a waste of time in a tank that uses fresh NSW.
I am not advocating neglecting quarantine. Many tanks are extreamly prone to these infections. I believe it is because too many tanks are too sterile but I do not have any facts about it to justify condoning it. It is just my belief that if your tank always uses ASW and was never exposed to disease organisms in NSW, it will not be as bulletproof.
Just my theory

[Wes]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul B Actually I do not. I don't think you can package and sell live bacteria very well.

Paul there are several companies now who package and sell live bacteria for aquarium use.

Prodibio, Zeovit, Brightwell Aquatics, Fauna Marin, Elos are a few.

-wes

[Paul B]

Wes, I know that but I am not sure if bacteria can survive packaged that long. I know on the package it says they are in some kind of suspended animation but I have not researched it myself.
I still think the sea has the proper bacteria in the correct proportions.

[masterswimmer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul B I still think the sea has the proper bacteria in the correct proportions.

Paul, I couldn't agree more. However, different locations in the sea have different parameters. Tahitian waters differ from Caribbean waters which differs from Northern Atlantic waters which differs from Red Sea or Mediterranean waters.

The animals most hobbyists are keeping in their tanks are most likely from various locale's. Therefore the parameters these critters ultimately are kept in differ greatly from the waters they were originally 'harvested' from. Hence my theory that many problems exist because too many varieties of animals in one tank introduces bacteria to the neighboring species that they wouldn't normally be exposed to and had an opportunity to develop a resistance to in nature.

As yours is......JMO

Russ

[Paul B]

Sounds plausable.
I think in New York waters we run the gamut of bacteria and cover everything