[jsindorf]

Sad news about the shrooms...
You need the fire and ice zoos to help get over that!

So... let's look at nitrates...
you have a BioCube 8
the tank cycled and has a bunch of live rock and live sand
(two small mushroom hitchhikers)
plus a clean up crew

you do water changes every week to 10 days

in the back compartments you have:

#1 (input) live rock rubble (took out the charcoal filter pack)
#2 live rock rubble in the bottom (took out bioballs) with the drip tray still in place and filter floss on the drip tray
#3 pump and heater (removed filter sponge)

Stock pump
added nano power head for more water movement

I don't get it. Nitrates should be lower.