Major hair algae starting

Algae grows on all sorts of things but plastics offer a good place because they are relatively porous like lr. I guarantee if you don't fix your nutrient problem removing the egg crate will just lead to algae somewhere else.

 

are saying the plastic is not leaching phosphates as others seem to have tested and found?

 

Others also insist the little squares are nitrate traps.. thoughts?

 

Would love to see a study on plastics leaching phosphates if you have one but from what I have seen,read, and experienced this is just another myth .There are several different kinds of plastics.No I don't think of the egg crate as a nitrate trap.That term is very deceiving as you can't create nitrates without ammonia and nitrite.If you are using your egg crate under the sand it cannot trap or create nitrate.Also low o2 areas are where most denitrification occurs.Nitrates don't just appear out of no where they are added to the system.I would say the only nitrate trap people fall into is overstocking and selection of animals.A trigger is certainly a nitrate trap.
Heres a good read on plastic.As you will see there are far more toxic substances to worry about in certain types.
http://www.3reef.com/threads/reef-safe-plastics-leaching-myths-facts.57828/

 

My Nitrate levels are always around 5-10 and my phosphates are almost non existent. I do water changes and have now increases to do them even more often... I am going to keep at it and see if it goes away completely soon!

 

Update:
The hair algae was completely gone for the last 3 months after doing everything recommended. What I have noticed is it is starting to return again, but the one thing that has changed is the clean up crew. I think basically all of the snails are dead. The Niger Trigger may have been the cause! He seems to take them in his mouth and swim around with them. I don't know how he is killing them though..
Either way, I am starting to fight the GHA again.. but I don't want to get rid of him! : o