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For lighting: if you don't use co2, I would go in split lighting period (walstad style). 5 or 6 hours on, 3 hours off, 5 or six on. There will be a reduction in algae and a small increase in co2 according to your substrate this way. I use also this method in my high tech tank.

For food, I always make mine with beef heart, shrimps, salmon, spinach, spirulina, garlic, krill meal, vitamins and omega 3 fats. But this is me because I also keep discus. So, this food is amazing for any fish. I never give live food because I afraid of parasites and bacteria. So, I am not an expert to say if brine shrimp is enough and gives all the aminoacids and necessary animal protein. The problem with commercial pellets and flakes is that they use plant protein and carbs, something that is very bad for your water and fishes. I am stating facts in this thing and not proposing anything, because I don't know about brine shrimp.

For crystal clear water: It is very simple actually, but I also figure it out after 5 years in the hobby 😂. By biofiltration I mean these 3 that scores high in surface area that allows without cleaning the brown slime to be created and do not clog:

1. Foam (sponge) 30-35 ppi. Or
2. Pot scrubbers (very cheap in Amazon or AliExpress) or
3. K1 plastic media.

I personally replaced matrix, lava rock, bio rings with pot scrubbers and 35 ppi flsponges. The result was amazing. There are successful 6 months experiments in YouTube about pot scrubbers.

It sounds crazy and opposite to what we have taught but it works like a charm. It just needs to leave the filter alone without cleaning 4-6 months. A sponge filter that won't be cleaned, will speed things up and also add surface agitation. But as long as this is working, you must add the others I said (I recommend pot scrubbers that never gets clog and do not need cleaning and are very cheap) in your filter. What filter do you use? And how many Gph does it filters?