GardenBanter.co.uk - Plants, algae, & fertilizers

I've posted this on a few forums (on fishforums.com) because I haven't
received responses and I'm impatient! I hope that's not a forum faux
pas.

Perhaps somebody here has an idea.

I was battling brown algae up until about 3 weeks ago (see
http://www.fishforums.com/phpBB/view...ight=phosguard
for details). I thought I would use live plants to help in the battle,
so bought a lot of small-leaved stem plants. Sorry, I don't remember
what they're called - small, thin leaves about 3/4" long, start out
purply, then change to green. They're supposed to be fast growing, but
they're not doing anything. I have about 25 4-5 stem bunches planted in
the tank, along with 1 stem of Java Fern.

I still have a green film that forms on the inside of the tank 2-3 days
after I scrub it off, plus green fuzz algae on the plant leaves and
driftwood, plus green spots on the inside of the tank, plus green stuff
on the gravel.

It dawned on me that none of the plants that I have added over the 3
months that I have had the tank (purchased already set up from a woman
who had it for 4 years) have done well, so it dawned on me yesterday
that perhaps my algae problem is due to the fact that the plants aren't
able to do their job. The only difference between my set up and the
woman I bought it from is the water that's in the tank. SHe had a few
sword plants that did well, but died shortly after moving to my house,
as did Java ferns, some brushy things, and anything else I've put in.

I read and read and read yesterday, and think that I need to add some
nutrients to the water, but now am overwhelmed at all of the options. I
thought to start with Seachem Flourish and Flourish Excel, but is there
anything else that I should also add? K, N, or P? Hopefully no P, my
phosphates are around 5 PPM now, and I'm battling keeping them down.

I have ammonia, PH, and phosphate test kits. Do I need any others? What
levels of the plant nutrients am I trying to get to?

Should I take out the plants with the green fuzz, or if I get the
nutrient balance right, will the algae die and the plants will be OK?

Is there some sequence, or waiting period between dosings of different
things, or can the initial doses be added all in one day?

Should I replace my filter foam at the same time I add initial doses,
since it's a bit green?

Tank details:
-125 gallon acrylic
-180 watts fluorescent lights - bulbs less than 1 month old
-feed w/ Nutrafin flakes, 1x per day, practically nothing sinks to the
bottom
-2 Fluval 404, with bio-filter pieces in them, plus 3rd of 3 doses of
PhosGuard in 1 filter
- 15w UV sterilizer, with old bulb, but unplugged since last Saturday
anyway
- weekly 25% water changes
- PH 7.5-7.8
- temp - 78-79 F
- 8 Parrot cichlids
- 2 small white tetras
- 2 5" channel cats
- 1 5" Bala shark
- 2 3" Bala sharks
- 1 3" New Zealand Rainbow

We're on well water, with a conditioning/softening system of some sort,
and I think that maybe this system takes all metals and other things
out of the water.