Nutrients out of control...

[Keko21]

Sooo everything in my tank looks really happy right now. But Im testing NO3 at 65ppm (Redsea test) and PO4 at a staggering .68ppm (Hanna) and thats following a 20% water change. Is that even possible? Both tests off? All other parameters are perfect. Nothing is dead in the tank that I can see that would be elevating these levels. I just cleaned my skimmer to make sure it is pulling efficiently and it seems to be working fine. Reefmat 500 for filtration. I've been dosing micobacter 7 daily.
My next thought was just to do 10% water changes every day for the next couple days until it comes down. Thoughts?

 

[Troylee]

If it’s not broke don’t fix it! Lots of tanks that run higher nutrients..

 

[Bpb]

If they were testing at that after a 20% water change, they were 20% higher before the change. I wouldn’t sweat it though. They’re high but it doesn’t appear to be hurting anything. After 12 years in the hobby I have all but stopped testing nutrients. Our hobby grade kits aren’t great to begin with. Even the expensive ones. There are several forms of phosphate we don’t even test for and it also plays into the alkalinity measurement. We as hobbyists truthfully know so little about how these parameters are created, used, and recycled, especially those of us that think we have it figured out. Best to worry less about it.

 

[Lavey29]

Exactly and water changes do very little to reduce phosphates because they are bound in rock and sand so what you remove in the water column gets replaced. Since the tank looks good just make small changes to lower them a bit. Cut back on pellet and flake food. Cut back on coral supplements too and slowly reduce nitrates and phosphate.

 

[bushdoc]

Second reefer above, additionally good skimming, mechanical filter( sock) emptied regularly and good live rock should be the mainstay. Looking at picture of your tank, it looks as if there might be some live rock deficiency there.