Lighting causing algae problem...?

[Ryan seymore]

Hi i recently finished getting my lighting set up and ive had the tank up and running since feb. 11'th of this year 2011.. My problem is ive been haveing green/brown algae growing on the glass like crazy. as soon as i clean the tank its comeing back.
I recently got a 9 watt UV sterilizer called the green killing machine made
by AA aquatics. and that helped out alot but once a week its back on the glass.
My question is what is the shortest time limit i have to have my lights
on for my corals my set up is..


55G long tank

1 Deep blue professional T-5 54x2watts LED moon lights
1 Odyssey T-5 54x4 watts

Total watts 324

1 aquaclear70 filter 300GPH
1 aquaclear30 filter 150GPH
MY SUMP IS ALMOST DONE

aquaclear30 powerhead
402 powerhead

Roughly 40-50 pounds of cultured florida live rock
I still need about 20 pounds

60 pounds of live sand/ a little over 2" sand bed ive heard over 3 inches causes problems

tank mates are..

Green star polps
Colt coral
daisy polys
candycane coral
lunar eclipse polyps
toadstool coral
2 feather dusters
condylactis anemone
1 seabae clownfish
1 domino damsel
1 sand sifting starfish
10 hermit crabs
4 tubo snails

far from over filled. taking it slow
so i dont cause problems in the tank.

ammonia is close to zero not zero though
calcium over 400
salinity 1.025-1.026
ph 8.3
hardness between 7-9
nitrate very low not zero though.

I pretty sure my problem is
i dont have RO/DI water
and the impurities can cause this algae.
but the lighting sparks the growth im sure.

So sorry about this long message my question again.
Untill i get my RO/DI system what is the lowest time limit
as far as lighting for my tank to help stop some algae for now

[reefMe1]

You don't really have a whole lot of coral in there. How big are your colonies? The candy cane coral likes light but most of the others can handle a little lower light. What is your timing like now?

I would guess you could stagger your lights to have the smaller fixture on for maybe 8 hours and the larger one to maybe 6 hrs a day.

You will need to get RO water. Can you buy it any where? Can you get DI water from on of the local grocery stores?

[reefologist]

Could depend on the age of the lamps, as lamps age the color spectrum can degrade thus making them less favorable to corals & more favorable to algae. It could also be time for a water change and not be lighting only. There are so many factors to consider, good luck.

[Reefing Madness]

Its your water. You have not listed your Phosphate level, but I bet you its very high. You can run a Remover or your RO/DI water will take care of that.

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

I have to agree that lighting is not likely the cause of algae issues. The age of bulbs do impact the growth of algae but it's almost always a nutrient issue (water quality). T5's should last a year or longer before replacement. Algae film on the glass happens on even the "cleanest" of tanks. I have to clean my glass at least once a week. Can you take a pic so we have an idea of how excessive the growth is? A few other things to consider (aside from source water) are: what, how, and how often you are feeding the tank. How often and how much water are you changing. Another concern is the fact that your ammonia is not zero. While it may not cause algae concerns , it definitely doesn't make for a healthy environment for your livestock. Are you sure the test kit is accurate? If so, a larger water change may be in order. It's odd that a tank that's understocked and aged, such as yours, would have ammonia. Any deaths or recent additions lately?