nitrate problems

[hierohiphop]

i have a 6 gallon eclipse with a damsel and 2 small clowns. the ph and nitrite levels are fine but my problem is the nitrate. it is at 80 and i only feed them once a day and 2 weeks ago did a 50% water change. what advice do you guys have?

 

[mysis]

Do weekly water changes of about 75% or more, and put as much LR and seed the sand with LS. Also the tank is over stocked, i would sell the 2 damsels, eventually they will keill the clown due to the restricted space and the agressiveness they can show.

 

[wastememphis]

Just an observation, a 10 gallon tank costs around $7 around me... so you could pay around $50 and get a really nice HOB filter or canister filter and just move things into a bigger tank and you would have less problems. But you have to wait for that to cycle out... it might be worth it IMO.

 

[mogurnda]

To put it another way, that tank is way overstocked. I wouldn't put a pair of clowns in anything smaller than a 10, preferably a 15. Three fish is simply too much.