To make it really simple. Algae need a few things to survive and thrive.
-They need light to photosynthesize (especially red light or low kelvin color light like 6,500k or lower)
-They need nitrates, fish crap and decomposing waste, some water sources can have high nitrates to begin with
-They need phosphates, most flake and frozen food, sometimes from tap water or a bad ro membrane.
- And sometimes certain algae use silica to their advantage (mostly diatoms)
If you are getting an algae bloom and your bulbs are old it will not necessarily fix the problem. It might help if you get new higher Kelvin bulbs like 14,000k or 20,000k but they real key to eliminating algae is to lower your nutrients. Try reading about carbon dosing, increase your water changes, feed less, get a bigger skimmer, etc.
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