Red algae problem, please halp

[timb]

A little background, I have a 30 gal. up and running 5 months, 3 inches of LS, 45 lbs LR. Had the factory Eclipse wet dry hood till last week, protien skimmer, 2 power heads.
Livestock, 2 damsels, 1 firefish, 1 bi-color dottyback, 1 percula (black and white), 1 scooter blenney, 2 blood shrimp, 1 camel hump shrimp, 1 starfish, 1 cucumber, 3 scarlett hermit crabs, about 15 mixed snails - coneheads, turbo and reef snails. Corals, 1 green brain, 1 suncoral, 1 mushroom anenamie, and 2 others not sure??, 1 christmas tree worm rock.
About 3 weeks ago I started a red algae growth on some of my LR, water levels were Spec grav. 1.022, pH 8.4, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate kept climbing 20 - 40, and CA at 390. I was doing 30% water changes weekly and it would climb back up and the algae would thrive.
Last week I added an overflow into a 20 gal sump that is divided, 20% bioballs, 50% has 3in. LS and 10lbs LR and 1 piece of caulerpa, 30% is the return pump. No other filtritation.
My Nitrates have started to drop, 40 on Saturday and 35 today. And the red algae is doing well. Any advise?

 

[pacopetty]

It's a common problem, do a search on here and you will find out what to do.
good luck!

 

[thomas712]

Welcome to the board TimB.

What did you do with the eclipse hood and what is your lighting now?
Your fresh out of the cycle at only 5 months and you can still have an unstable tank so this type of algae can happen or there could be some tweeking to do.
Adding more current could help.
Allowing your DSB to mature may also help your problem.
Reducing your feedings.
What type of lighting do you have and how long are they on?
Water source could also be suspect to adding nitrates and phosphates.
I would suspect phosphates as well as the nitrates. Sometimes they just don't show up on test kits because they are used as fast as they are produced or enter the tank.
Sounds like adding your overflow also added more oxygen to the tank, this would be benifical.
I would consider running a PO4 sponge for a few days, replace if necessary for a few more days to remove potential PO4. Perhaps a polyfilter might help here.
Thomas

 

[timb]

Thanks for the info, I tossed the hood and used the light in the canopy I built. I have a 32 watt double power compact on both the tank and the sump/refug. they are on eleven hours per day. I feed once per day, have only used RO/DI water. I think I will try the pads and hopefully get rid of my agae problem.