Algae/diatoms problem

[Anna94]

My tank has been established for 6 years. I currently have guppies, cherry barbs, and black neon tetras in it. I’ve always gotten diatoms and green algae except when I keep the lights off 24/7. I have part of a pothos plant in my filter to help with the excess nutrients in the water in my tank that must be causing the algae growth. But it’s turning yellow so I’m guessing it’s dying; so apparently I can’t even keep a simple and easy plant like a pothos alive. I have to soak my fake plants in bleach and water and scrape the glass in my tank every month or so to take the diatoms/green algae off. PH is between 7 and 8, Ammonia and nitrites are 0, and nitrates are between 10 and 20. The lights are on for 5 hours a day and I feed once a day and skip a day. What could be causing this algae/diatoms growth in a 6-year-old established tank?

 

[Autumnsky]

Try a pouch of Purigen.

https://www.seachem.com/purigen.php

 

[Anna94]

Try a pouch of Purigen.

https://www.seachem.com/purigen.php

I already do use it

 

[Autumnsky]

Does it happen to need a recharge?

Irene Bearly just gave a talk for our CAS club tonight online, and mentioned calcium as being a big issue. For plant growth.

What is your calcium/Alkalinity? Dustin of Dustins Tanks just mentioned Calcium being low allowing more algae to grow. Last couple months I stopped adding the calcium in my low KH tanks and have more algae than before... maybe a coincidence, maybe a fixable issue.

Irene mentioned in her case was for breeding Platties and she had her KH up between 10 and 20 but the plants did better too.