Nitrate

[Jimmy]

I have a ?. I've been doing ten gallon water change once a week for the last three weeks. Does anyone have a suggesting have to get my nitrates down so I can put fish back in. My protein skimmer is working great and all the other tests are fine.

[Zack]

Need more info, tank size, stock list, feeding regiment, sand bed, skimmer size etc..

[Jimmy]

55 gallons, have no fish yet. Have about 50 lbs of live rock and live sand. Have a pro clear aquatic with a rio 800 that is working great

[Zack]

I'm not sure if your asking for a sponsor in general or the community..? Would you like me to move this to the general response forum?

[Jimmy]

Community

[Zack]

Moving per OP request

[Flyride95]

Check the test you are using and bring a water sample in to your lfs and have them test it. I had an API nitrate test that said I had 160 nitrates but phoenimal tested it and I truly had 10.

[Flyride95]

Btw you can check your test kit and test the nitrates of ro/di water.

[ramsey]

Also, how high are you nitrates?

EDIT: I must have posted this under the wrong thread. Not sure what I was doing.

[FireWater]

Little more info on rock and set up. Was it all a fresh start or did you purchase from someone? How long has it been set up?

Weekly 10 gln changes seems way more than adequate on a 55 gln. You may try one large change such as 50% and then back off the weekly changes to 10%.

Detritus and build up can hang in rocks and be absorbed into sand and rock. When you do a water change try using a turkey baster to blow off the rocks.

[Jimmy]

Between 10 and 20

[FireWater]

You say you want fish back in. How long has this tank been up and running? Nitrates between 10 and 20 is huge gap. You have to be more specific about the tank and what's going into the tank for any of us to help out. With out specifics it's nothing more than guesses and hoping.

What water are you using to do water changes?