Flow

[makana]

I started a 10g nano reef about 6 months ago. A little over a month ago I added a chromis. After two weeks with the levels ok I added a clown. The clown only lived for two weeks and died. He seemed fine the night before he died, ate like usual.

Now the only things I can think of are that the nitrate began climbing after adding the clown and I am still battling that, or the water flow. The Chromis is still fine but he does hide at night in a spot with no flow. Is it possible that the clown was overworked from not having a low flow spot?

The tank has a K1 and a rio nano skimmer for flow.

The nitrate is about 40ppm. It is hard to tell, I have a hagen kit and the colour is more like hot pink where the chart is a redder pink. The LFS said it was okay because it was under 50ppm.