Red Stringy Algae...OH NO!

So I've had this tank going since end of October now (First two months it was just cycling, no fish) In the past month this red stringy algae has taken over my sand bed.

I've been reducing the time the lights run, put a power head that skims over the sand bed to increase flow over the area, and reduced feeding of the fish to once every other day. But it just keeps getting worse! Any ideas? Should I pick up some more clean up crew guys? I currently have about 6 snails, 1 hermit crab, and 2 emerald crabs.

Water params from the 25th:

ph: 8.3
nitrate: 0
nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Calcium: 460
Phosphate: 0
Dkh 6 (~107ppm)

The tank was originally setup with de-chlorinated tap water, but the last 2 or 3 of my weekly water changes have been with RO/DI water. The tank is a 55 gal.

Thanks!

 

What is your light schedule? What type of bulbs, and how old are they?

 

I run PC 4x64watt, half are 10k actinic, half are 6.5k daylights. I run them from 11am to 9pm, depending on when I get home from work. Bulbs are 1.5months old.

 

I'd cut your daylight bulbs (10K and 6.5K) down to 6 hours a day, 10 hrs is too much unless you're a coral farmer and with those lights you ain't. Get a simple timer to put them on and off on a schedule. The 420 or 460 bulbs for actinics can be on a couple hrs before to a couple hrs after the day lights are on.

 

The combination of that light spectrum and the tap water is not good.

I don't know why you got 2 6500k or 2 x 10,000k.

Change your bulbs to 2 x actinic, 1 x 10,000k, 1 x 14,000k aqua blue

Do 30% water change and maintain optimal Magnesium levels (1400)

Add some Emerald crabs, Hermit crabs, Astrea snials, Cerith snails etc. They will destroy all algae.

High Magnesium levels will slow down rapid algae growth.

 

10,000k and Actinic lights are not the same. I don't know what you mean by 10,000k actinics.