String algae is slowly killing my tank... HELP!

I have a Boyu-tl550 tank (125L) that I setup a few months ago, and after a few weeks I noticed string algae forming on the moss that was closest to the surface.
I did a lot of research into it and most places said use an old toothbrush to get rid of it. (Which works very well I might add)

However I have noticed that every time I pull the stuff out it grows back twice as fast exponentially every time.

I have:
3 X 24W lighting
CO2 going at 2.5 bubbles/sec for 6 hours a day.
Dosing full Seachem aquavitro range.
ADA Amazonia New soil.

I reduced my lighting from 12 hours a day down to 8 or 6 hours a day depending.
I also added 5 SAE and currently have around 40+ baby sail fin mollies in there (temporary nursing tank).

Even with the fish + me pulling the stuff out + the SAE - who don’t touch the stuff - I am still losing the battle with this algae.
It really is killing the tank.

I even tried getting rid of it by stopping all Co2 and dosing of aquavitro for 2 weeks. That didn't help either.

Does anyone have any suggestions of how to get rid of it?
Because taking it out every time isn't working, and I don’t want to use chemicals as they damage the plants as well.

Help?!

 

Too much nitrates and/or phosphates.
Is your soil capped?

Try using the lights for 7 hours a day,Minimum CO2 and stop dosing for a week or two.

 

I know my phosphates are pretty much as 0, since I've added a lot of phosphate removers, and nitrates should be low, haven't looked at those levels for a week.

What do you mean by capped?

 

Did you cover the soil with gravel?

 

No, its just straight ADA with HC growing on it.

 

your nitrates might be to low. get seachem excel and dose the living hell out of the tank it will die in a weeks time

 

I know that Seachem Excel is a great supplement to the tank in cases like this, however, about a month ago my 2 month old tank started to accumulate a lot of algae - I was running Co2, heavily planted with non-capped ADA much like yours - For 3 days I turned the Co2 off and only put lights on in the evening for a couple of hours whilst feeding the fish. 90% of the algae went and I haven't had a problem since - it's 3 weeks now.

 

I feel your pain , battled to get rid of mine , the only thing that clears it super fast
[h=2]MICROBE-LIFT / Algaway 5.4[/h]

 

It is also fairly safe for your plants and safe for your fish.

 

Check the flow in your tank. I get hair algae when my tank gets overgrown...

 

I think I'll try the excel approach first.

I did a while back use it to get rid of BBA using direct dosing.

Should i just do a general tank dosage of Excel, or should i do the targeted dosing? (remembering that its on the moss, and i don't want to kill the moss)

 

good luck with the Excel , let me know how it turns out , did nothing for me ..

 

you need to dose more than what it says on the bottle.