I know of no algae product that does anything to plants chemically. The
main thing they do to harm plants is get the nutrients first before the
plants and the same is true with respect to light.
This only becomes an issue if there is not enough nutrient present for
the plants......algae generally always have enough nutrients, light can
be limiting for algae at 1-2w/gal while not limiting to plants nearly
to the same degree.

Are you adding CO2 now or not?
If not and you do not plan on adding CO2, lower your fish load and
increase the plants.
Victor balances his tank this way as do I do with my non CO2 tanks.

This is a balance. You do not need to do water changes, given the
plants you want and the time factor you mention, this might be just the
thing for you.

You'll need to remove the pleco and swap those big fish for smaller
ones and get a pack of algae eaters to add the icing on the cake.

Just top the tank off with tap weekly, clean filter, prune lightly as
needed.
You might add some SeaChem Equilbirum for K+/Ca/Mn/Fe/Mg/SO4, most of
the NO3 and PO4 will come from the Fish food.

This works quite well and meets the demands of the plants quite well.

With high fish loads, the tank just will not be able to keep up and the
NO3 will build.

I suggested lots of water changes if you insist on the high fish loads
because even all the plant growth that you can squeeze out with high
light and CO2 is not enough to remove the waste. Many folsk that have
planted discus tanks with live food and and lots of feeding and high
bioloads do many water changes a week, some 50% 2x aweek, some 30% 3x
aweek etc.

I'd rather do once a week water changes on a few tansk, and none of the
rest(non CO2) and have reasonable bioloads for each
method.

Generally, CO2 or not is the first choice many plant folks consider.
How much gardening do you want to do?

I do not think the BBA and SH are related so much to the NO3, as they
are to NH4 and CO2.
Each time you do the water change, you add CO2 to the tank so the
tank's stabilty is disrupted, you fool the plants rather than giving
them a chance to get use to low CO2 levels.

If you add CO2 and have stable high levels, they get use to that as
well.
That adapt but are not as fast as BBA, that alga is quick to respond to
CO2 changes more than most other algae.

Algae also need to time to adapt, but some are faster than others.
Both plants and algae prefer CO2.

You can play chemist later if you decide that is something that
interest you, many don't.
I did not for a long time but I kept asking why and hearing stuff that
did not make since.

Given your long term goal, go non CO2, you'll be quite happy and laugh
at other folks sweating with their CO2, there's a trade off, not as
fast growth, not the well pruned garden, but that can still look quite
well, even better in many cases to some CO2 enriched tanks, take more
patience and willingness to not meddle, just leave it alone.


Regards,
Tom Barr