Help reading my nitrate test, please

I think it's pretty close to 50 IMO. However, it is a little darker so a little higher than 50.

 

It's looking like I need to do a water change!! :-[ I have it planned for this weekend. I have fine tuned my skimmer as much as I think I can.

 

This has for some reason always been one of my problems. I realize that this part of it should be pretty straightforward. I have had some issues in the past that have me a bit gun shy. I'm still in the process of getting my sump and better skimmer rolling. Until then, I still think I should be able to keep my nitrates down.

While I was waiting for the test, I took my water into a LFS and my nitrates were down. That was about 2 weeks ago. Mother's day put me out of town for 2.5 days, I'm sure the nitrates just crept back up without a water change. I've just been topping off in the last two weeks.

I've also added a maxi-jet w/ eco mod to increase my flow and it did. I didn't have enough to get to every corner of my tank. Now I am closer to that goal. I change my flow pattern (just by moving them) about once a week to try to eliminate dead spots and places for the stuff (newb term) to settle.

Doing everything manual will make it nice when I do get some sort of "automatic" in my system. hahahaha ;D

 

Full disclosure here, I'm embarrassed by some of the stuff that happens in my tank that I don't know what is going on. I try to talk to many people and get great info from almost everyone I talk to.

Like I said before, I'm trying many things to get the nitrates down. I have been cleanign my skimmer cup 1-2 times a week.

I also use this product red sea nitrate phos remover but it either helps a little or I haven't noticed the difference.

again, frustration ensues

 

The best thing you can do for nitrates is get some cheto or some other macro algae, they work wonders. So get that fuge up and running as soon as you can and that will make a big difference.

 

I have a small amount of cheato in my bubble diffuser on my HOB skimmer. I know it's probably not nearly enough to make a difference. The sump/fuge is getting built right now, I plan on putting a pile of cheato in there as that get's installed.

I'm planning on a 10 gallon water change this weekend. I'm going to go buy some RO/salt water. I don't trust myself in mixing it anymore... not right now anyway.

 

I want to keep this updated. I have some more pictures. I took this test on Sunday, with a 10 gal (out of 60 gal) water change. I plan on doing weekly 10 gal water changes until I get my 'trates down.
BRB with the pictures.

 

ok, so here is the link with my latest nitrate test.

nitrates

Please let me know what you think. I just want to get a second oponion of what I think I have.

Thanks! ;D

 

50ish.

All the side view tells us is it's >10.

 

ok, you're on board with what I was thinking or I'm on board what you are thinking. Unfortunately, It's still not good.

So, would a 20 gal water change be too much on a 60 gal system? My goal is to shoot for a weekly 10 gal water change schedule. This way, the nitrates don't get as bad as they are now.

My goal is to get the nitrates down, get a set schedule for water changes. Right now, being honest, I do not do them as often as I know I should. :-[

Thank you!