new tank problems

Question
we have a new 20gallon saltwater tank. it has one tomato clown and one damsel as well as three small hermit crabs and a turbo snail. the tank is cycling and appears to have passed its ammonia peak at .5 and is now .25. the problem is brown/rust colored algae and a spike in ph to 8.8. the clownfish is not doing well. we had turned off the light more in an effort to limit the algae (also why we got the crabs and snail). My question is, what is the best way to control the algae and ph?  we have been using cycle and ammonia detox.

thanks so much for your help.

Answer
Usually algae is a result of too much nitrate, which is the food it lives on. Cutting down on the light may help a little but your best friend right now is water changes. It is a small tank so doing water changes 5 gal at a time would be sufficient. Make sure the water cures for a few days after you mix it with a good brand of salt. The ph will level out and if you have a nitrate spike it will help immensely. Use some ph buffer and that will stabilize. Make sure you use a heater in the five gallon bucket your mix is in so temp is the same as tank temp. Introduce the new water slowly after you drain 5 gal from the tank. Use a small pitcher and just lower small amounts of water by submerging, not pouring. Check the ph of your fresh water supply, it should be @ 7.0 to 7.8. Get back to me asap and if you can't wait a couple of days to cure the water aerate it very thoroughly after mixing. I would hate to see you lose any of your babies. Gerry.