Also referred to as "spiking" or "recycling", new tank syndrome (NTS) is something we can all experience at one time or another. Whether you have a saltwater aquarium that has just finished going through the
nitrogen cycling process, or one that is well established and been running for years, it can happen. New tank syndrome is the term used when
ammonia produced from the bio-load placed on a system begins to accumulate in an amount that is too great for the nitrifying bacteria population established in the tank to consume, and if the build-up of ammonia is substantial enough, nitrite will most likely begin to show up as well.
To get a better understanding of how aquariums react to various types of bio-loads placed on them, refer to our Table of Bacteria Population VS Bio-Load Ratio Reactions.
Causes & Solutions For Avoiding
Them
To prevent NTS from occurring, here is a list of things that contribute to the cause of this problem and what you can do to avoid them.
