10 gallon filtering help

[buckshot1977]

ok i have set up my first nano tank about 2 months ago. all i have in it for a filter is a whisper 10 back filter a small power head for water movement a small diy in tank refug 20lb livesand and about 10lb of live rock. water test out fine but nitrates are holding at about 10. I do a 10% water change weekly. do i need a protein skimmer for it? if so what one? is there any thing else i need for it or any thing i should do different. just looking at keeping mushrooms, zoos, ect. in this tank. as for live stock i have one mushroom rock, one three strip damsel, two nass snails, and one blue leg hermit. any help will be helpful. and thank you all in advance for the great info and help.

[minireefer3]

did you change the carbon bag in the whisper, 1-2 times a month....., we had the same problem in our mini-bow, and that did the trick

[MarVida]

I had a Whisper 20 on my ten & couldn't get it to settle down. I pulled the Whisper, put a hang on 'fuge on the back & have a SeaClone 100 hanging off of that. I have an auto top off system & now it's very stable with great water params. Adding the other stuff added almost 2 gallons to the volume so that helped too. I do a half gallon water change per week.