Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

for the last year or so, green hair algae has been a problem in my tank. i've tried everything i know to do (lowered light time, more water changes, checked phosphates, added more hermits, even tried a sea hare. it's just taking over everything now. i try removing it manually by removing rocks and pulling it off, but within days it grows back. it's really getting annoying to the point i'm thinking about just selling everything and finding a new hobby. please give me some advice. thanks.

a lot of times phosphates get locked up in live rock and substrate.
even if your water test result show that phosphates are in
check. the phosphates will leach from the live rock substrate ect...
this can take some time.
have you tried using any granular ferric oxide.
and have you tested your nitrates?

Nitrates came back fine at the last testing, but i haven't used any granular ferric oxide, fosban or anything like that. i did get a semi-high silcates reading at one point. will that have the same effect?

Specifically, what is your Nitrate level? Reason I ask, is that I have had a green hair algae problem for the past year or so, and I think I am now going in the right direction. The first test kit that I had gave a very general level (in increments of like 5 or 10 ppm), and I think it gave me a false sense of security. After testing my water with a Salifert test kit, I found that I no doubt had a problem with nitrates. So, I turned my protein skimmer on full time, started dosing the tank with a mild regimen of AZ-NO3, and making 15% water changes every two weeks or so. My nitrates have come down and the green hair algae is slowly retreating.

Some fish are really good at getting rid of that stuff, I had it all over my tank got a foxface and a lawnmower blenny and its all gone. Also when you pulled out your LR did you just pull off the algae or did you scrub with a stiff brush where it was. Thats what I did. Once I got rid of it my blenny and foxface keep it in check