Help, algae ID and what to do

[dtaylor]

My tank is 1 year old and fish only. My nitrates are zero and phosphates 0.1. pH is a little low at 7.5, usg 1.025. I have a 60 gallon display w/ 20 gallon sump Red Sea. I do at least 20% water changes weekly and mix my own water using RODI system and Red Sea coral mix. I have a Red Sea skimmer and 2 socks that I clean out every other day. I have a gravel vacuum that I use on the sand when I do the water changes. I have 2 urchins(1 pencil and 1 purple tuxedo), bristletooth tang, lawnmower blend, 5 sacrlett hermits, 2 tiger conchs, 8 nassarius snails, and 5 cerith snails. I have for the past 3 months been battling this algae and I’ve been trying not to overreact but I already waited a year to start coral!!

What I’ve done so far, attempted to manually remove:this crap won’t come off easily and I’m having to vacuum up a large volume of sand trying to get it up. Added the urchins(my pencil just has an amazing head of troll hair but doesn’t seem to be making a ton of head way). I turned the lights off for 14 days and it came right back. I have cut the amount I’m feeding by 25%. I had a refugium but was struggling to keep the chaeto happy and was worried die off was adding to nitrate spikes so I got rid of it.

My LFS thinks it’s a turf algae and suggested a sea hare if I think I can keep him alive.

Sorry for the long post but I’m at a loss. Please let me know what more info or pictures needed to help.

Thanks!

 

[Cichlid Dad]

What clean up crew do you have

 

[dtaylor]

What clean up crew do you have

I have 2 urchins(1 pencil and 1 purple tuxedo), bristletooth tang, lawnmower blend, 5 sacrlett hermits, 2 tiger conchs, 8 nassarius snails, and 5 cerith snails.