I am now getting a nitrate problem, HELP!!

[kyarnkid]

I have had my tank for almost 4 months now and I have been testing the water on a regular basis. Well today I tested my nitrates and it showed that they were at 20 on my AQpharmaceuticals test(all my other water parameters were good.)
I am not worried to awfully bad about my fish, but I have alot of invertes. I need to know how I can get this down. This is the first time in 4 months that my nitrates have been over 5.
Help guys

 

[brooklyn johnny]

we definately need more info on this one. Filter set up?

 

[kyarnkid]

oh sorry,
I have a 55, a sandman filter, an emp 400 and a prizm protien skimmer and a dsb that does not seem to be working for some reason?

 

[ocellaris_keeper]

water changes are required to keep nitrates down - 10 to 20 % per week until they drop.
also - you may have thwe right depth of the sand bed but not enough action on the surface. How many hermits and star fish do you have?

 

[fshhub]

it takes time for the dsb to mature fully and start to constantly remove nitrates, ours was a off and on thing for about 4 or 5 months, adn then they just started dropping on their own, for the first couple of months(ours started at about 50, then came down), 20 is no real big deal, but just watch so they do not get a lot higher, water changes and skimming will help alot too
you still running the emporer(with filters)?? if so, when was the last time you cleaned it and changed the filters(maybe time to replace the filters)
btw, 20 is not too awful high, ours were much higher for a long time in our old tank