Questionfor 2 mos. i have developed Algea in my 25 Gal. tank. I drain it weekly and feel there must be a better way.I have 2 large gold fish and 2 small ones. My Algea eaters keep dying on me. The tank is near a window, but this year has been the 1st time Algea has ever started. Help....j
AnswerAlgae eaters aren't great to keep with goldfish as they may decide to suck on them. Plus, goldfish create a lot of waste. You don't say how big your goldfish are but 4 goldfish would be better off in 40+ gallons of water. I'm guessing things are getting crowded. I suggest weekly 50% water changes with gravel vacuuming. Do you have algae suspended in the water or just on the glass and things. If it's in the water, then I might use AlgaeFix for ponds by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals which I've used twice now in my 40 gallon tank with 3 goldfish because some sunlight was hitting it, and the water turned green. One dose kept the tank clear for two weeks. AlgaeFix doesn't remove much of the attached algae (or not as well). For attached algae, I suggest mostly manual removal. Get a good algae scraper. You can put some black construction paper or cardboard on the side of the tank that gets sunlight to reduce the light that feeds the algae. The algae lives off of the light and the fish waste. My page on algae will give you some more tips to try:
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plants/algae.htm
Good luck!