Nitrate Levels are to high. What can I do?

Question
I have a 100 gallon tank and have problems with the nitrate level being to high.  I have put in amquil nitrate lowering solution several times now and have taken out 1/2 of the water and replaced it several times also.  What else can I do to help keep the nitrates down?

Answer
Dear Pam,
Thank you for sharing your emergency in the tank. I do not recommend using aquarium store remedies. The only one that works is "Cycle," which is natural biology. It's the friendly bacteria your tank needs to help break down waste.
So, buy Cycle and add the recommended amount. Wait 24 hours, do another partial water change, add the recommended amount of Cycle. Then wait 48 hours and do another partial water change.
The thing is, if you're using pure bottled water without Cycle (biology), it will just make it harder to break down the nitrates.
Also, scale back how much you feed them to prevent this from happening again.
My page for aquarium care is here:
http://steamboats.com/aquarium.html
I hope this helps. Write back if you still have high nitrates after two or three of these treatments.
Sincerely,
Nori