High Nitrates!

We have had our 55 gal tank for a little over 3 months. Currently we have:
2 turbo snails
2 soft snails?
2 black brittle stars
1 white brittle star
that little hard starfish you can see in the picture
1 Fire shrimp
Pipe Organ Coral

Today we went and purchased a lawnmower blenny and also a test kit (so we could stop having our lfs do it)
We are currently acclimating our new blenny and just tested all the levels. Everything is fine except our Nitrates, it is at or over 160ppm. Right before we tested we cleaned all the algae off the glass. What should we do??!

 

Ignore the picture part, but we also have 2 peppermint shrimp

 

Have you done any water changes? Are you using ro/di? Running a skimmer?

 

We add 5 gallons of ro once a week. We do not have a skimmer

 

I would suggest doing some water changes, and start doing them routinely either weekly and or bi weekly. A skimmer would be a big help too.
Are you running a sump?

 

160ppm is ridiculously high. I would buy a 2nd test kit just to make sure that the number is accurate. If it is, then water changes with RO/DI water is really the only answer for a quick fix. For the long run, look in to getting a nitrate filter or strategize how you're going to handle your tank (deep sand bed or light on substrate to filter all particles out before they decompose).

 

We have a Rena Filstar under the tank

 

There's you nitrate factory, more than likely

 

+1 look into a HOB refugium or sump/refugium with a good skimmer. It might also help to lessen your light schedule.