Welcome to the forums its a great resource and somewhere to bat about ideas.

Firstly, Id read up on Estimative Index, its a little to take in, but itll make your life far simpler in the long run.

Secondly, Id invest in a drop checker and read up on Vaughn's threads about using them properly.

Using those 2 priceless theories, youll have a much better chance of getting things sorted and growing nicely.

Most of your algae problems are probably due to unstable/inadequate CO2, but if your not dosing nutrients across the range, thats going to contribute as well. Learning EI will give you far less things to think about when things go pear shaped.

Good luck with it all, and ask as many questions as you like, there are some seriously clever people here