Another algea question....

[two11devan]

My tank has been set up for about 4 months now and i never really had a big problem with algea. I had a little bit of a bloom b/c of using tap water for the initial fill up and ever since then I have been using RO water for fill ups and top offs.
I recently got new PC lights for my tank. They have been running for a couple of weeks now and almost my entire sand bed is brown and i am getting lots of hair algea on the sand as well. I have noticed some cyano on my rocks and i think even a little on my sand. Im pretty sure its the huge increase in lighting that is causing it. I have reduced the running time from 12 hrs to 9 and am feeding sparingly. Now, is it just sit and wait time? Or is there anything else i could be doing to clear it up.
I just bought a few cerrith and astrea snails. That brings my total snail count to about 18 I thin k and I also have a handfull of blue legg hermits as well as an emerald crab. Any suggestions?

 

[Strictly Marine]

A lawnmover blennie will definitly help with the algea problem.They do hair and brown slime algea.

 

[jackdp]

My tank went through and still goes through periodic algae blooms and its been over a year since I set up. Most often they go away on their own. The lighting change probably caused your latest bloom. I would check phosphates and nitrates to be sure they're not the culprit.
I try to keep a good variety of hermits and snails, different critters may find different algaes tasty. Some of my crabs I've have never seen touch any algae.