Works for me!. You may be over-reacting on the algae; I don't think 5 hours a day of artificial lighting will be optimal for a tank with this many plants Kick it up a notch (a four-hour siesta period is fine) and give it another week.

 

Welcome to APC!

You have chosen the Darwinian approach to plant selection; plant many species and let them self-select. Some will drop out of the mix and some may overgrow, but this is easy to deal with later.

I agree with johnwesley, you don't want to starve the plants for light at this point. I suggest a total photoperiod of 8 hours, 4/4 with a siesta. Try some large water changes to deal with algae if needed.

Good luck!

 

Yes, please don't skim on the photoperiod. I would recommend 4 hours in morning, 4 hour siesta, and 4-6 hours in the evening. This will give plants a photoperiod of 12-14 hours that tells them that they are growing under spring/summer conditions. Anything less than a 11 hour photoperiod tells aquarium plants, many of which adjust to a seasonal cycle, to start dying back for winter. This is especially true for your floating plants which-- because they can use air CO2 and can reduce the light intensity in your tank naturally--are wonderful competitors against algae.

 

Thanks to everyone who commented. The lighting is only on a simple timer and I have adjusted as per the suggestions. Lets see how we go

 

If it's possible with your light you can also try reducing the intensity of the light, and keep the photoperiod longer.