Algae Identification and reasoning

[spacesamurai]

Hello!

I recently ran into a problem with what looks like green hair algae as you can see in the picture below.
I have a large refugium and a deep sand bed in the sump, I thought the macro-algae would take all the nutrients but apparently this can still grow.

Specs:
150gallon tank
70gallon sump
VIPARSPECTRA T300 300W LED x2
90x Flow rate

Is it possible my lights are too strong? specifically my whites?

Parameters have been fine, phosphate is at 0 and Nitrites and Nitrates are at 0.
I'm not sure if this is usual for a tank which is about a year and a half old.

Thanks in advance!

 

[dbowman5]

Hey S,
macro algae can out compete if given the chance. if this algae is growing only in the direct light then maybe your lights are too bright. or perhaps they are just brighter/on longer than the sump. what are the respective on times, what temperature are you keeping? GHA is common good luck with it.

 

[spacesamurai]

Hey S,
macro algae can out compete if given the chance. if this algae is growing only in the direct light then maybe your lights are too bright. or perhaps they are just brighter/on longer than the sump. what are the respective on times, what temperature are you keeping? GHA is common good luck with it.

Hey Dbowman, Thanks for the reply!

oddly enough the GHA seems to be growing in indirect light, The picture above shows them only because I had a flashlight on them. Here is an example: +

First one is tank lights, second one is tank lights + flashlight

I believe my sump lights run from 20:00 to 6:00 and tank lights ramp up from 6:00 to 8:00 and go until they ramp down at 20:00. I'm aware that is a long light schedule but it seems to have been working for the past year and a half, as my coral has grown incredibly fast.

i keep the tank at 78-79. Ive heard 80 is Ideal but i'm not sure.

the GHA is only in the tank not the sump, I'm wondering if something in my parameters is off because my sump has 2 refugiums, one with mangroves and Caulerpa Mexicana, mud, and sand while the other has alot of chaeto.