nitrates high

Ok i have a 55 gallon with 10 to 12 peacock cichlids bout 2 to 4 inches. I have a fluval 406 and a hob. I do water change bout once every 10 to 14 days bout 10 to 20 percent. I feed bout every two days. tank been up now for bout 9 months. My ph is round 7.6 to 7.8 temp 78 amonia fine nitrites are fine. my nitrates are bout 80 ppm even after doing 2 50% water changes in a week. I changed my substrate to sand after the 2nd from gravel added plants. Why is my nitrates so out of wack???? dont understand it....

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Permalink Reply by Lyndon McCrea on August 27, 2012 at 7:45pm

maybe, clean the fluval, build up in organic matter can cause nitrates, also do 2 25% waterchanges a week on a consistent basis.

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Permalink Reply by troy black on August 28, 2012 at 11:02am

yep done that, I did recently 2 50% water changes, I do a 20% bout every 10 to 15 days, vacuuming the substrates, cleaned fluval, wasnt nasty at all and hob filter. I dont over feed, feed bout every 2 days. tanks is always clean. changed substrate to sand bout 3 days ago added driftwood and anubias, java fern and swords to help. nothing seems to be working so I am going to do a 20% change everyday till i get readings down. Just weird.....