High nitrates?

[Tmaida17]

What should I do to help lower nitrates? I have a 29 gallon fish only for now and have been having issues with nitrates. Last week it was 20 ppm. I just changed the water and am go into wait until tomorrow to test again. I ve been doing 15 % weekly water changes. I assumed its from to much fish waste so i lowered feeding them to once a day instead of twice a day. This is what I have:

29 gallon aquarium
70 gallon aqua clear filter ( planned on getting a bigger aquarium eventually)
2 1/2 in of Caribbean sand
26 lbs of live rock
2 750 pumps
1 100 watt heater
Light is 250 Mh( which was to much so I haven't used it lately) & 4 24 watt actinic
1 baby YWM
1 baby b& w clown
1 true percula clown
1 hectors goby
1 juvenile orange goby
1 emerald crab
3 nasserus snails
3 mex turbos snails
5 nitrite snails
2 other snail I forget what they are called.
1 skunk cleaner

 

[SKurj]

what media in that AC70 and how often do you clean it?

Considered replacing it with a HOB skimmer instead?

 

[hotdogg]

If you are not using RODI water, tap water could be the issue...any media, including sponge filters, filter socks etc.

 

[Shoryureppa]

a skimmer is not a bad idea, also that filter media could be trapping detritus, might want to check into that. i had a hob filter when i first set it up, took it off after the first week.
keep up the water changes. btw how long has the tank been running?

 

[reefergeorge]

Nothing. I wasn't able to.get my nitrates under 20 for the whole first year i had my tank. Once it matured it leveled out and stays around 5. 20ppm wont hurt anything.

 

[BigCountry74]

Nothing. I wasn't able to.get my nitrates under 20 for the whole first year i had my tank. Once it matured it leveled out and stays around 5. 20ppm wont hurt anything.

x2

solid advice

 

[SushiGirl]

20 is fine in fish only & softy tanks.