Algae ID

[Lock]

Could anyone ID this algae, and recommend a way to get rid of it. Tank parameters are all great. Phosphate - to low to read, Silicate - to low to read, Calcium 450, Alk - 13 DKH. The algae is like a deep green carpet. It peels up pretty easy but grows back. siphoning is difficult as I loose a significant amount of my sand and the algae seems to still come back. Thanks for any help.

[Bughead]

EEK. There's got to be a way to size that picture down a bit.

You say it peels up. That suggests green slime, cyanobacteria, which isn't really algae, but a bacteria. It's fairly easy to eliminate. Usually what's happening is the area is getting too many nutrients (food, poop, etc.) and not enough circulation. Try aiming a powerhead over the area, after doing your best to clean it up first, of course. Try to do all the stuff to help control the excess nutrients, like feeding less, good skimming, water changes, etc., but the main defence against cyano is circulation.