Algae is kicking my butt

[Gerber]

I inherited a 10 gallon tank from my girlfriends family that was originally set up as a QT tank but was converted to a FO with a 1 year old clown and a chocolate ship starfish as its inhabitants. They had the tank in direct sunlight and the year and a half it was running it accumulated tons of algae. When I was given the tank all 4 walls were covered in algae. I literally couldnt see inside the tank.

So I cleaned the tank, siphoned the sand, changed the filter, added a koralia 1 and shortened the light cycle to 4 hours. I have done everything I can think of to stop this algae and I cant. Teh algae is a green slime. Anybody have any ideas?

Parameters: Ph=8.2, Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite all at 0 ppm, temp at 82

Pictures are right after a 50% WC and after I sifted the sand

Nana the clown

Choco Star- I know not reef safe

 

[Ace25]

Keep stirring the sand and keep doing as big of water changes as you possibly can as frequently as possible until the problem goes away. You could turn the light off completely, it won't matter much to the fish, actually calms them down a little, to get the algae to go away even faster. You don't have much biological filtration since it was a QT tank.. you are going to need some live rock and a few snails to help keep the aquarium clean. I am guessing no copper was run in it if the CC starfish is living ok.

 

[Gerber]

theres no copper at all. I am thinking that Ill turn off the lights for a couple days and Ill take some coraline covered LR out of my reef and put some hermits/ snails in as well. I wish the girlfriend hadnt of seen that starfish because I was hoping to make this a small reef but I guess not anymore lol Thank you for youre response