Help with Algae and Plants

[Eddie]

Ok new here, just joined. 

I have a 29 Gallon 8 month old planted community tank.  For fish 4 Zebra Danios, 6 fancy guppies (for the wife) 8 small Neon Tetras 6 Cory Cats, 4 Amano Shrimp 3 Nerite Snails.  I have 0 Amonia 0 Nitrites and 1 or 2 Nitrates. I do weekly 1/4 water changes. Use Prime in the buckets of fresh water from the tap that goes back into the tank.  Tap water PH is 7.0.  For Filter I use a Fluval C3, and have small bubble wall air stone.   I use Seachem Matrix and Purigen in the chemical chamber and Matrix in the wet/dry chamber.  I keep my tank at 76 degree.  I had a awful Green hair algae breakout. Covered all my plants. was dosing it with Api c02 and using Thrive-s for the plants. I was using a LED light but found out it was not full spectrum.  I ended up taking out all my plants and replacing them with nice green new ones. Also replaced the light with a true Full spectrum 6,700 Kelvin light and put it on a timer. 8 hours even have it ramping up and down to start and end so full light for 7 hours.  I have Easy Green Plant fertilizer coming.  Should that keep my plants happy and healthy.  Oh for substate I'm using Landen Aqua Soil Substrate for Natural Planted Aquarium. Pricey but supposed to be excellent. Am I on the right track?  Any input?  I can not use a C02 system in my apartment complex.  Here's 2 pictures of my new plants and tank. Any input or am I on the right track?  Sorry for the long intro. 

Edited September 30, 2021 by Eddie
fixed text

[lefty o]

not growing algae is a balance of lighting, and nutrients. hair algae in my experience is almost entirely from having the lights on too much. in your shoes, i would give the tank no light for a few days other than whatever ambient light it gets in the room, then set you light so you get 6 or 7 hours total light for the day, not just full power. once you get the algae under control (hate to say it, but almost impossible to have no algae of any kind), then you can slowly add in more light until you start seeing more algae, then back off a bit. also, if it is near a window, and light can shine on the tank form the window, shade it from the window.

[Eddie]

HI Lefty,

                       I don't mind the "regular" algae, (back glass for my Ottos and Amano shrimp)  it was just the hair algae that took over my tank and plants. I do think i had the old light on for way to long.  My tank is not near a window. 

[lefty o]

i would give it a few days without light just to help make the hair algae die off. then back to using light. if the hair algae keeps growing, cut back the light, if its not and you want more light, gradually increase the time its on. its just a balance you need to sneak up on.

[Eddie]

Ok will do! Thank you for your help!  

[lefty o]

no problem, we're all here to help.