High Phosphates/Nitrates (I mean HIGH) and the Nems are ticked

[MattR]

Really hoping someone on here can point me in the right direction. Quick summary I have had this nuvo 10 nem tank set up for over a year now (started with 3 larger ones which split 2 or 3 times each). fed a mix of frozen and pellet foods to the pair of clown and nems about 2-3x per week.
Fast forward to this past month and suddenly my nems started regressing to the back of the tank (seen in photos), and close all the way up. I have never changed the lighting or flow in this tank and they were always fully opened for the full photo period (8-10hrs). Now for the past month, they have even hiding in the back and never consistently come out. Sometimes 1 or 2 of them walk around the tank and go back to hiding.
I think experienced an algae outbreak which I beat in about 2 weeks but it is slightly still there. I run a UV sterilizer and reef glass skimmer on this tank. I have conducted water tests and even sent out a ATI test which confirmed my tests of EXTREMELY HIGH nitrates and phosphates. I have no idea where they are coming from. Since this has happened, I have reduced my feeding to 1x per week of 10 pellets for the clowns and they eat them all. No CUC is dead and I still conduct my 20-30% WC a week with RODI and TM pro salt and if anything my parameters are getting more out of wack. I am now at the point of considering to dose nopox because I really don't think it is the lighting even though they are near the back of the tank. I should also mention that I haven't lost any nems and they are not gaping. The photos below show the procession of what it originally looked like with tons of algae to the reduction of it with the RBTA still not liking it.Any help would be great



RODI Water

 

[MohH]

Looks like u have something going on there....in the first two pics,maybe dyno... could be wrong... other people on here will be better at identification

 

[MattR]

Looks like u have something going on there....in the first two pics,maybe dyno... could be wrong... other people on here will be better at identification

Ya I never got a definitive ID but now luckily I beat that but can't seem to find where this Nitrate/Phosphate are coming from

 

[MohH]

ok... did you beat it by using UV or did you also dosed nitrates and phosphates... also increase in those nutrients may be as a result of the dynos dying

 

[clifg]

How old is your RO/DI and the filters with it? Silicon is super high, which in my experience is silicate getting through to RO/DI. Could also be the source of your phosphate.

 

[MattR]

ok... did you beat it by using UV or did you also dosed nitrates and phosphates... also increase in those nutrients may be as a result of the dynos dying

Never dosed nitrates or anything along those lines. Only vibrant then phyto (stopped). Both would consume the phosphate

 

[MattR]

How old is your RO/DI and the filters with it? Silicon is super high, which in my experience is silicate getting through to RO/DI. Could also be the source of your phosphate.

RODI unit itself isn't even 2 years old, DI resin is less than half depleted and getting 0 TDS coming out (know that really doesn't mean much as contaminates can still be in there). I have the RODI results as well just posted them in the first post

 

[IslandLifeReef]

If you used vibrant to kill the algae, then you needed to do a couple of large water changes to get rid of the dead organic matter. Not only did the dead algae probably release NO3 and PO4 into the water, the algae was no longer there to remove it.

I would recommend running some carbon in the tank, do several 2 gallon water changes over the next two weeks, run your skimmer wet, and feed your fish at least every other day if not every day. Just don't feed them as much as you use to.

Then wait a few weeks to see if this helps. If things begin to look worse, do another 20% water change and check back.

 

[MattR]

If you used vibrant to kill the algae, then you needed to do a couple of large water changes to get rid of the dead organic matter. Not only did the dead algae probably release NO3 and PO4 into the water, the algae was no longer there to remove it.

I would recommend running some carbon in the tank, do several 2 gallon water changes over the next two weeks, run your skimmer wet, and feed your fish at least every other day if not every day. Just don't feed them as much as you use to.

Then wait a few weeks to see if this helps. If things begin to look worse, do another 20% water change and check back.

Very good point thank you! I also do run chemo pure blue (forgot to mention). Several WC meaning 2 weekly? Every 3 days would be sufficient?

 

[IslandLifeReef]

Very good point thank you! I also do run chemo pure blue (forgot to mention). Several WC meaning 2 weekly? Every 3 days would be sufficient?

Yes, every 3 days for two weeks would be more than sufficient. Try to get as much gunk out of the tank as you can.

 

[MattR]

Alright so have done 20% wc three times (every 2-3 days) and phosphate is still .56 and nitrate is somewhere around 10....
Nems have not really changed, still no deaths thankfully