nitrates high

[delavega]

The nitrates are very high in our tank to the point where the test solution, when mixed with the tank water, ends up to be a very bright red. It has been like this for a while. Right now there are only 3 hermit crabs in the tank and about 60lbs of live rock. We had previously tried water changes and a flakey stuff the fish store gave us but our nitrates remain high. What else can we try?
We had lost our fish from ich about 3 weeks ago and are afraid to buy new fish now until we get a QT tank set up. After losing fish from ich, how long do we have to wait until we start adding new fish anyway. Should the ich be gone by now or can it live on hermit crabs or rock. Do it need to have fish as its host? We won't be adding fish until out nitrates are normal but would like to know if the little critters are gone.
Can you please give us some pointers so we can get our tank up and running again?

 

[125intx]

https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/f/
Here is the sticky at the top of this board. You should leave the tank fishless for at least 4 weeks to kill the ICK. Have you been doing water changes? Are you using RO or tap water? My tap water here has 40ppm of Nitrates. So just starting out my Nitrates will be at 40ppm. I have a refugium with Macros to help with the Nitrates. A large water change will also help as well as a DSB. Read about a QT to help from getting ICK again.
Good Luck!!