Cycling Tank

[cornharris]

I have been cycling my tank 60 gallon for 5 weeks.I have had three black striped damels in there for 3 weeks.When i test the water the results are ph 8.2 Am 0 Ntrite 0 and the Nitrate is 40.Last week i bought a clown fish and 2 days later it did not make it.So i'm trying to find out how to get help on getting the Nitrate down without changing the water.

 

[f14peter]

If there's one thing I've learned in researching SW tanks (I hope I've learned, been beaten over the head with it enough) is that water changes are a fact of SW tank life.
EVERYTHING I've read/seen advocates a regular water change schedule. The amounts vary, anywhere from 5%-weekly to up to 20%-biweekly/monthly.
I've often seen this mentioned as the most practical, safest way to get nitrate levels down. Getting from 40 to/below 20 may entail a few changes over the coarse of a few days or week. If you change 20% of your water, then you've (presumably) removed 20% of your nitrates.