High Nitrate Problem

I have a 55g with 1 clown fish, 2 three stripe damsels, 2 zebra dartfish, 1 blue damsel, 10 ricordia mushrooms, and a bunch of snails and hermit crabs. I am using a Ehiem Pro wet/dry and a Aqua C Remora HOB skimmer with a maxi-jet 1200 pump and T5 lighting. I use an API Master Saltwater kit: High PH 8.4
Ammonia 0ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 80-100 ppm
S.G. 1.023
I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I could really use insight from some more experienced members. Also have geen algae.

 

Was about to ask how you have a nitrate problem with a reading of 0ppm..You have GHA(green hair algae) which is consuming your nitrates. Remove GHA if you can, with your hands & brush/scrub off of rocks with a toothbrush. This should help in reducing the GHA & it's chances of coming back. When it goes away you should notice your nitrates have gone up & then they should slowly go back down with nitrate/phos removers..

 

How old is the tank??? How long has it been running???

 

How well is your skimmer working? How often do you empty it, and how dark is the gunk? How much are you feeding? How often do you do water changes?

 

His nitrates are 80-100ppm

 

You could also lower your lighting period, starving the GHA of a light source, reducing photosynthesis.

 

Sorry I miss-read that. I was looking at nitrites.

What skimmer are you using, how long have you had it?

 

I would advise to take apart your skimmer and make sure its 100% cleaned and working properly. check air tubing etc.. also do a 25% water change, make sure to vacuum substrate well and save the old water in a bucket. then take out your bioballs and clean them in the old tank water.. probly can just shake them in the water to get the poop off them or use your girlfriends toothbrush to get the hard to reach poop. also clean out all your filter pads. test your nitrate 24hrs after you've done all of this. also take your test water to LFS to have them do a second test for you. Im sure after all of this your nitrates will at least drop 50%.

 

i recommend doing a water change right away, thats the only way to immediately lower your nitrates, also cut back on feeding to every other day until you find the source of the problem, over feeding could cause nitrates to build up. be sure when you feed everything put into the tank is consumed.

 

Instant Ocean Nitrate Reducer works wonders! Along with regular water changes w/ R/O water and a good skimmer or a fuge w/ macros like chaeto