[avengexthexdead]

does anyone know, (besides water changes) the best way to keep you nitrates down. mine are always around 20-25. no matter what i cant keep them down to 0. any seggestions?

[jpmwjm]

Do you use tap water? What type of filters do you have?

[glampka]

Set up a refugium & grow chaeto - it will use up the excess nitrates.

[Krazy]

Whats your feeding habits ??

[avengexthexdead]

i have a filstar xp3 cannister filter, i always use ro water from my lfs. i feed once to twice daily, alternating between, flake and frozen food. do my weekly water changes about 20 percent. my skimmer is down for now cause my other one was a pos. maybe that could have somethign to do with it?

[pogodzib]

It looks like you have a few issues that could be causing high nitrates. Canister filters (not recommended for reef tanks) can be nitrate factories unless cleaned very often. With reef tanks, most people only feed once a day at most. Some people only feed once every 2-3 days. To help lower your nitrates, do some or all of the following - minimize feedings, get a good skimmer, add a refugium, and get more live rock if you have under 1-1.5 Lbs.

You didn't mention what type of substrate you have and what depth it is. If you have a crushed coral substrate, they are also known to be nitrate factories. Also, how long has your tank been setup?