Low nitrates but GHA

[mossanimal]

So I have a 90 gallon tank with 50 gallon sump (with a little Gracilaria in a macro algae fuge) and a separate 20 gallon mangrove display fuge with deep refugium mud bed (the mangroves haven't started growing yet). I have 2 clowns and some soft coral frags (Xenia, GSP, mushrooms, Pink Clove Polyp), some Cephastrea frags and a nice BTA. There is also a big Reticulated hermit, purple urchin and a bunch of margarita snails who seem to ignore GHA. I realize that it's overfiltered and understocked (trying to get funding for more corals and fish!!), but this is my classroom reef tank and the filtration is a part of the learning experience. I've finally got by phosphates up by feeding my corals with ReefRoids once a week... but the nitrates are stubborn at 0. Despite the low nitrates, I have some low level, but annoying GHA. It's easy to clean once per week with a toothbrush. My glass stays clean because of the super healthy copepod population in the tank. I dose phyto every morning. My macro algae fuge is loaded with GHA and it even grows on the Gracilaria which is annoying.

I'm trying to 'overfeed' to bring nitrates up but it isn't working. How much can I overfeed 2 clownfish?? Anyway... any other thoughts on getting my nitrates up? My corals LOOK great with great coloration but there has been no growth so far. Hoping to get the funds to add some fish soon. There is no local LFS and shipping stacks the cost due to my remote location... which is a pain.

 

[mossanimal]

Btw.. I realize that some of what I’m calling GHA may be dinos…. But I don’t see the bubbles associated with the filaments.