Minor Algae Issue

[jag51186]

So, in my main tank, I've been having a minor algae issue for awhile now/plant issue (?maybe, not sure if it is plant problem)...pardon the picture quality, having issues with focus tonite.
 

 

 
Some general info...
 
80 gallon tank (48 x 18 x 20 inches)
 
Lighting: http/fluvalaquatics.com/us/product/A3982-aqualife-plant-full-spectrum-performance-led-strip-light/#.VmoddLgrKUl On for 8 hours a day. I think this light isn't the greatest, especially compared to the newer 2.0 version they have out now...but it has always grown plants for me fairly well. 
 
Ferts: Dosing Flourish Comprehensive at water change. Water changes are weekly to biweekly. Root tabs near my swords. I also recently started dosing Iron and Potassium on alternating every other day schedule, because my swords have been getting these holes in them. I also dosed Flourish Excel every 3-4 days for awhile to see, but my research is showing that it eats vallis, so I am stopping that.
 
I am starting to think that I am feeding the fish too heavily, which is leaving me with higher nitrates, which is causing algae to bloom. I've had this stuff for quite awhile, and typically just remove leaves when they start to look really bad, and I can't stand it anymore. But, back when I had stem plants, it would slowly cover old growth on them as well...before my barbs ripped the plants apart.
 
Current full tank shot.
 

 
Anyway, any help is appreciated.

 

[Byron]

The algae is a type of brush algae.  I have dealt with this over the past years and have managed to reduce and even eliminate it (meaning, stop it from increasing).  It appears solely due to an imbalance of light/nutrients.
 
I don't know your lighting, but from the specs in the link it should be OK.  So I'll assume it is.
 
I have seen this algae increase due to light, and excess nutrients.  First, the latter.  I went onto a routine of dosing Flourish Comprehensive (only) twice a week.  I have seven tanks, all with plants, and this seemed adequate; plants were basically doing well.  But in the 90g, this brush algae began increasing on the sword plant leaves.  I cut the Flourish Comp down to once a week in this tank, and the algae stopped increasing.  I removed the affected leaves (the new growth had none of this algae) over a few weeks, and after a couple months decided to go back to twice weekly doses, just to \see.  Within a couple of weeks, back came the algae.  I went back to once a week, and it stopped.  Now, about two years on, still no problem algae.
 
I also had this same algae become a problem due to light.  I know I have moderate lighting, so the intensity is not the issue, it balances the plants and fish load.  I reduced the duration an hour at a time, and now have it down to 8 hours daily, 7 hours in one tank, and the algae has stopped.  I've been on this routine for four years now.  Initially, I found that the increased daylight entering the fish room during the summer caused this algae to re-appear, but putting heavy drapes over the windows solved this.  The point here is that the light/nutrient balance is rather delicate.
 
Another experiment also showed that instead of twice weekly Flourish Comp doses, using Flourish Trace once a week along with Flourish Comp once prevented algae and the plants responded slightly better.
 
There is another aspect to this, and that is the GH of your source water, as this is the primary source of the hard minerals which are minimal in Flourish Comp.
 
I would be careful with iron and potassium; I also tried these, and found the potassium was not helping.  Iron might, but this can promote this type of algae, so I would probably suggest you discontinue iron for a few weeks and see.  There is iron in Flourish Comp, and it is only a micro-nutrient after all.
 
Byron.