What light cycle do you use?

[BuddyBonButt]

So I'm currently fighting off detritus or diatoms. My lfs guy said diatoms. I can't really tell the difference as I'm pretty new to the hobby

My current livestock (not cuc)
2 clownfish (one percula one ocellaris)
1 neon blue goby
3 blue sapphire damselfish (probably one, haven't seen the other two in 2 weeks lol. No bodies recovered either. Truly is a shame but what can I do. This is what's making me believe to be the source of the diatom boost)

I've added:
10 blue legged hermit crabs
4 cleaner shrimp
2 strawberry conch
1 blue tuxedo urchin
And 5 Mexican grazing snails. (These dudes are ripping up the mess so friggen quick)

These have all been added over the course of 3 weeks. I'm keeping a very close eye to make sure nothing starves

So now that I've got my janitors, I also slowed my feedings. I was a little over zealous with my 2 feedings a day. now I do once a day maybe once every other day.

The last thing I need to do is adjust my light settings. I cannot change intensity but I do have them ramp up and down throughout the day. They are at the brightest at noon and dimmest at early morning and night. They turn on at 8 a.m. and slowly ramp up to Max at 12 p.m. then they start ramping down and then turn off at 21:00

I know this is too much so now I'm wondering what you all do. I'd like to copy and I work from home so I'm not too desperate to have it on longer at night as I can view it any time I want throughout the day.

I've added photos of what I'm fighting off. Can't believe how good conch and Mexican grazing snails are. It's honestly really impressive.

 

[blaxsun]

Detritus is waste - diatoms are the brownish stuff on your rocks (fairly normal). You just need a conch or two for your sand bed and some ring cowries for the rocks.

 

[Screwgunner]

10 hours at 350 par at the top of your tank. Sps reqirements are alittle higher. 14 hours on algea scubber on a reverse cycle.