you're welcome. in a new tank, initially, the nitrates must be removed mainly by wtaer changes... the skimmer helps but the LR won't be up for it quite yet, IMO.
When my nitrites and ammonia normalised, I was changing 1gal every day religiously in my 10 gal. It was actually over a gallon, because I had a canadian gallon jug (4 litres). This is still not a shock to the inhabitants of a tank this size, and super easy to do, ebcause you can shake the container one day before, so mixing is easy (no need for powerhead in ab ucket, etc). Just makle sure you dont add it too fast as you may shock the inhabitants. also, watch the temperature differences.
I woudl recommend to change one gallon of water every day from nwo on, after a massive 40 or 50 % water change asap. 40ppm is wayy too high.
remember, dilution comes into play with water changes, so if nitrates are 10 and you change 20%, you end up with 8, then 6.4, etc... so you should start with a carefully planned massive water change...
as far as the sand goes, i cant remember the lbs, but my sand bed is between 2.5 and 3 inches deep... sounds like you only have a bit of sand in there
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