IME algae issues were always connected to insufficient water circulation (poor nutrient/O2/CO2 transport). As soon I upgrade to a stronger pump or simply toss in another spare pump to help the existing pump algae seem to stay at bay and plants start growing better.
My tanks get good CO2 and/or Easy Carbo, NPK+traces, GH-Booster, bicarbonates, water change, moderate surface agitation, clean filters, lots of shredders like shrimps... but had circulation like 3-5 x the turn over per hour.
Now all my tanks have stronger turn over rate up to 15 x per hour and algae seem to stay away.
But still even with increased circulation my 180 Low light Low Tech had problems with water turbidity and dust algae on the glass. Once I started dosing Easy Life FFM (fluid filter medium) algae didn't return and water became crystal clear. This product is probably based on liquid Zeolite (assumption - good CEC) and something else.
About algae killers;
It has been 2 years now since I started working for one of the biggest Zoo Shops in Sweden and since the beginning I never sold not even one algae killer
Yes I do stock the shop with algae killers since there will always be people which insist on buying an algae killer and such never listen to what we have to say
But most of my customers instead of algae killer get Tropica+NP, GH-Booster (swedish tap is VERY soft 3GH), Easy Carbo and a better/stronger circulation pump and all seem to come back after a while with a huge smile on their faces
Always address the cause not the consequence. BTW algae are friends in aid. Something has to remove the raising NH4 and dissolved organics otherwise our fish would be at risk. Algae are the best indicator for nutrient unbalance, better than the tests.
In some cases NPK are missing, in some poor CO2, but these days we all try to keep these up and what stays at the end... poor nutrient transport and probably low O2. So up those water pumps! Also using Zeolite is a very good idea (liquid is the best ime since it is dosed directly into the tank and gets spread equally all over so even the dead spots get some)
Regards, Dusko