hair algae will grow over any macro algae over time choke off light, and preventing the macro from growing. You need something to graze the hair algae. I find it tough to find something that can climb into and around chato, which is why it slowly died out and was replaced by culerpa prolifera. Tiny hermit crabs, tiny snails or feeder shrimp can climb and graze the micro algae off the leaf. Use whatever you can find and put lots in there. ie, when I went snorkaling, I picked up about 50-100 tiny hermit crabs. Cleared off the hair algae within a few days. Another time, I picked up about 30 feeder shrimp while fishing. Did the same thing. Right now, I have these tiny limpets breeding in the refugium, and they seem to be doing a good job.
Once the hair algae is controlled, the macro can grow easily and quickly.
On a side note,an algae turf scrubber also solves the problem of micro algae over growing macro algae, since macros aren't needed.
