Algae needs two things to thrive. Light and nutrients (typically nitrates and phosphates). If you get stuff that eats it (snails, hermit crabs, herbovorous fish like a blenny), they turn the algae back into nitrates (using your natural nitrogen process in your tank). You have to decide how you are going to limit nitrients in your tank if you want the lights on a lot and you want no algae. Here are some possibilities:
- feed less (less nutrient input)
- waterchanges (% nutrient export)
- skimmer (waste export before it becomes nutrients)
- Manual removal of the algae (lots of work)
- herbavores (temp solution putting nutrients back in the water)
- Algae scrubber (take nutrients out of the water)
- refugium with macro algae (similar to an algae scrubber in concept)
- de-nitryfing or phosphate removing chemicals
- deep sand bed
- marine plants (similar in concept to the algae scrubber or refugium)
All of the above have strengths and drawbacks.
For low cost and relatively low maintenance I recommend:
Research and buy some critters that will eat your algae and fit in with your tank (google)
Run an algae scrubber and maybe a skimmer too.
Here is what doing that gets me on 20 minutes a week maintenance:
