Having a fight with BBA and staghorn algae on my hands (nice to find out
they're the same thing- confirm if you can), I'm curious to get a general
poll from the group as to how you've dealt with algae, and how it worked.
It'd be nice to share the different methods and how they've worked as
there's got to be a lot of experience with algae on this newsgroup! Heck,
maybe if we get enough replies I'll post them all up on one general webpage
(or submit to one). I'm especially curious about the general opinion of
blacking out a tank, as that seems cheap, easy, and effective? Let's try to
use a similar format if possible:

Aquarium (all): 55 gallon, heavy fish load, medium plant load, soft water,
~4kH, ~7pH, 75 F, ammonia 0, nitrites 0, nitrates ~30 ppm, 2 HOB filters,
originally OTS

Algae: BBA
Amount: Severe (not catastrophic), covering 20% of tank and 40% plants I'd
say
Effort: reduce OTS nitrate levels from 200ppm+ to ~30ppm, increase kH
Effect: has dramatically slowed the level of BBA, but triggered an explosion
of staghorn on my Vals

Algae: BBA & Staghorn
Amount: moderate-severe
Effort: manually remove it; gently pull on staghorn, using a credit card on
tank walls while siphoning (BBA), leaf trimming
Effect: pretty good for BBA, not so effective for staghorn, I think it
really goes for any sign of weakness in Vals (can it weaken its host?)

Algae: BBA, Staghorn, Hair
Amount: moderate-severe
Effort: add extra plants (Hornwort - 2 big bunches)
Effect: in combination with the other efforts, I'm hoping that the very fast
growing Hornwort will clean up the water, but so far it's having little
effect

Algae: all kinds
Amount: moderate-severe
Effort: Pleco, Otto's, SAE, Flying Fox
Effect: Pleco, at 10", is not surprisingly very effective at cleaning
general green algae (only problem is immense amount of poop!); Otto's and
SAEs (3 and 4 respectively) eat frequently, but don't seem to be able to
reduce levels (maintain them?), SAEs do munch on BBA, FF only green algae on
occasion (primarily fish food)