too much light/hair algae

[miesenjr]

I have a problem with green hair algae on my live rock and don’t know exactly why. My tank has been up and running for 1 and a half years and I had not had a problem.
I have a 180 gal fowlr with 120 lbs live rock and shallow (less than 1 ½’), a 50 gallon sump with a refugium, skimmer and a Mag 18 return pump. I also have two Koralia magnum 8 power heads on a wave timer. My lighting is 4-48” T5 HO, two 2 actinic and two 10,000K. I run the actinic 14 hours a day and the 10,000k 8 hours
.
My fish : a porcupine puffer 5”, yellow tang 6”, Niger trigger 5”; tasseled file fish1 ½”, harlequin tusk 4 “, and a coris yellow tail wrasse 4”

My water tests at 0 for all but nitrate at 40 to 80 ppm. I have switched from Instant Ocean to Reef Crystals 3 buckets ago

I have since turned my lights off and cleaned out the refugium off all hair and macro except for 2 or 3 pieces to re grow. I have also started weekly large water changes (45 gal) siphoning the hair algae of debris. I realy don’t want to take out the rock and scrub it. Is it safe to let it dye off in the tank slowly and keep up with the water changes? Will this be effective?

 

[ccCapt]

Problem:

I have a problem with green hair algae on my live rock and don’t know exactly why.

Reason:

nitrate at 40 to 80 ppm

Nusiance algae needs 3 things to live. Food, water and light. You can't remove the water, you can't remove the light (you can turn them off, but when you turn them back on the algae will return), so you must remove the food...which is nitrates. Have you also tested for phosphate?

Are you using 0 nitrate RO/DI water for water changes?

 

[miesenjr]

hair algae

yes, ro/id water 0 nitrate. I have a phosban reactor with nitrate reoval media in it as well, but it is only the two Little Fish "150"

 

[miesenjr]

I have tested for phos as well= 0

 

[melosu58]

Check out this check list

FantasyReef Databases-Viewing item "10 Step Plan for Nuisance Algae Control"

 

[austinsdad]

Might help to change the light bulbs too after a year and a half.