I think the hair algae bloom was a by product of adding new lights and just a buildup over time of nutrients (it's been up for 4 years now). My phosphates are high and nitrates are creeping up slowly.) I've pulled out all the hair algae I can by hand using the airline tubing siphon/pinching method, have done water changes, and added more Chaeto to the sump, reduced the lighting time, and added a phosphate media.

Setup is a 75 gallon tank with a 55gallon sump plumbed behind the wall, 390watts PC lighting, LR/LS, 75gal hot wet/dry trickle filter w/bio balls removed. Protein skimmer is in hot filter, powered by a wooden airstone.

I'm in the process of removing the hot filter and replacing with just a bigger overflow box, and putting a Berlin protein skimmer in the sump. I am researching MH/actinic combo fixtures and will be converting to MH soon, but want to "clean" everything up and bring water parameters back in line before adding the stronger lights.

The hair algae isn't that bad now, but I'm having a hard time getting it off of the Montipora Cap. due to the rough edges of the coral "holding" the algae on the edges of the coral, and some of the algae is growing between the layers of the coral!