Mixed tank balance (photo heavy?)

mpderksen

New member
let's start with the pictures.
<a href="https://ibb.co/NmvC1s6"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/F0r3sKb/20200217-164135.jpg" alt="20200217-164135" border="0"></a>
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<a href="https://ibb.co/9rLpnkP"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/RDmg2k8/20200217-164328.jpg" alt="20200217-164328" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/52TXBzc"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/jHh9gx4/20200217-164357.jpg" alt="20200217-164357" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/ZTDWSRn"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/tCr8zw7/20200217-164425.jpg" alt="20200217-164425" border="0"></a>
 
150g, 6' long with large sump and separate 25g fuge
pH 8.25-8.45
temp 77.1-77.9
SG 1.026
Alk 8.7-9.0
Nitrate and Phosphate below ICP detection limits.
Lighting 3x Ai26, running at peak from 12:00-8:00pm, half until 11:00pm
UV 5%
Violet 72%
Royal 77%
Blue 79%
Green 4%
Deep Red 4%
Cool White 5%
Also running 4x 80W, 60" T5 (3x Blue plus, and 1x Coral plus) currently only from 6:00-8:00pm
Fuge has a ball of Cheato, and a grow LED (40W?) on from 10PM to 10AM

My tank suffers from poor growth of LPS and pale colors. Yet my SPS is growing fine.
In November I realized my T5 bulbs were 18+ months old. I got new ones, but only added 1 new each week over the month. At that point they were on 4 hours, from 4:00-8:00. I also, probably, trimmed back my Cheato too much. I frequently harvest as much as a full 5 gallon bucket every 6 weeks!
I also tried to copy the famous AB+ spectrum, which has MUCH higher UV and Cool White.
POOF! I now have algae for the first time in 3 years!
I've dialed the T5s to 2 hours and moved my LED spectrum back to the one above. I also drained and cleaned all the algae out of my fuge, and won't trim the Cheato for a while.
I'm patient, but other than time, is there anything I can do to enhance my LPS? They probably don't love my ULN water, but if I add food, won't that just encourage MORE algae?
Also, you can see just how bad my vermatid issue is. All my SPS just grows around their tubes. Looks like a phlegm farm when I feed, but otherwise probably not an issue.
I think it's generally a very successful tank. I just want to stay on top of it, so advice is welcome.
 
More photos, because I just really like photos....

<a href="https://ibb.co/MPXbfrp"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/zPk1Fpb/20200217-184600.jpg" alt="20200217-184600" border="0"></a>
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<a href="https://ibb.co/TYMz2GQ"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/GnQgpDZ/20200217-184918.jpg" alt="20200217-184918" border="0"></a>
 
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