tested water parms HELP!!!

[turbotsi]

Well I tested the water in my 30g tonight and these are the readings...
High Range PH: 7.8
Amonia: .25
trItes: 0
trAtes: 160 MAXED OUT CHART!!!
ok what do I do to get my trAtes down.. I heard that the bio-wheels can cause this is this true.. if so should I remove them??
I was also thinking about removing one of my filter pads and adding some new Ehim Substrat in one side of the 440
what should I do to remove them...
also I tested my SAL and I think my hydrometer may be bad.. I tested tap water (no salt) and it read 1.032... I tested my tank (salt tank) and it read 1.032 so I was curious if u guys think I need to "re-season" the hydrometer or if u think it is broken (I have not used it in a long time)
also another question.. I do 5g waterchanges usually every sunday (once and a while I skip a week)... anywho I sometimes dont take out 5 gal due to evaporation... shoudl I only be adding the amount of salt to the amount of water I REMOVE.. or if I am adding 5g at a waterchange I should be adding 5g worth of salt????
Dave

 

[beth]

Get your trates down? Do you mean get your ammonia down?
Post up some info about your tank, size, age, filters, how you have it setup.

 

[turbotsi]

no my trates are at 160 that is WAY TO HIGH my amonia is at .25 not bad but yes I know not good
it is a 30g has been up for 6 months
has a 10-12" snowflake eel, a 1.5" volitan lion, and 2 2" cromies
there is a 3" bed or aragonite and a little live sand, it has 2 pieces of LR in there plan to add more today.. I am now buffering the water to get the PH up, I am planning to do a nice sized waterchange today and every day for prolly 6 days till the trAtes and amonia is back to 0
Dave

 

[dark4p]

I would do a water change about 30% or soo. high levels can cause exvessive algae growth thoe..