[Alty]

Okay, this is a bit embarrassing, the pets expert posting in the pets forum. Darn lack of fish knowledge, I should stick to bunnies, dogs and birds. ;)

Anyway, I have a 20 gallon tank, given to me by a friend. When I first got it I washed everything in it because all her fish had died of some mysterious sludge that she never named. I had other tanks before but nothing with a heater, a filter or size.

I have two fish, a feeder fish (Gold fish) named Goldie that's around 5 years old and a bottom feeder guy that I couldn't tell you the name of if you put a gun to my head. He's around 1 1/2 inches long and supposed to eat algae, his name is Fang. Don't laugh.

Algae is the problem. I used to have the tank by a window and within weeks (despite weekly cleaning) of getting the tank, it was covered in algae. You couldn't even see the fish, all the decorations were covered, every inch of the tank. At first I though the heater was the problem so I turned it down (goldfish and the algae eater don't need heated water I was told), cleaned it removing 1/5 of the water and adding drops, and hoped it would make a difference. It did. It got worse.

So I removed both fish, emptied the entire tank, washed everything in it with dish soap and hot water, rinsed and then placed the items in boiling water twice, for 30 minutes each time. I replaced everything, put in fresh water complete with all the drops (do not ask me the names) the pet store fish pro told me to, moved the aquarium away form the window and hoped for the best.

The algae was back less then a week after.

I'm at a loss. I'm not really a fish person, I like them, I love seeing other people's aquariums, but obviously I have no idea what I'm doing so I can't enjoy them. I'd love to add more fish but how can I with this ongoing algae problem and no knowledge how to fix it or how to maintain a good environment if it ever does get fixed.

I'm really hoping someone can tell me how to go from green to clear.

Thanks in advance.

[cdad]

You need more algae eaters.

[Curlyben]

Direct (sun)light is your issue here.
Move it away from the window and it should reduce, although never really disappear.
I had a similar issue with our pearlscales used to have half the tank all green gunked up, moved it and it worked.
I also invested in a scratcher scraper on a short stick to clean the inseide without completely emptying the tank.

[Alty]

But I did move it Ben and it's still an issue.

Should I perhaps get rid of everything (except the fish and the tank of course) and buy all new rocks and decorations, a new heater, filter... ahhhh, my husband will kill me! ;)

What about drops? What should I be using? I've been adding some sort of one in all drop that is supposed to make tap water safe for aquarium fish. I've also added vitamin drops that are supposed to keep them healthy. I bought algae drops (it worked, I have tons of algae). Am I adding too many drops, not enough?

Calidad, I'm afraid to get more fish with the condition the tank is in right now. Would it be safe? I've had other fish, they all died except the two I have now.

[cdad]

If you have a 20 gallon tank your allowed 1 inch per gallon for your fish. So you would be safe with 2 more. Mostly it depends on what type of tank you want. Are you heating the tank? ( tropical) or are you running it at room temp? Also in usung good filters like back filter and under gravel filter it should help. Just don't forget to use a product like ammo clear for amonia and keep an eye on your PH levels. Also consult a good fish book to see where your fish like to be. Some like the bottom and some like it closer to the top of the tank. Also with air in the tank the fish can play in it for added enjoyment. The drops your talking about are mainly meant to clear out the chlorine in the tank to prep it for fish.

[Lucky098]

First of all, adding more fish to an already problem tank is a BAD idea.

Most algea eaters, once they've established a "home" and grow, stop eating algea. I have a 12" pleco that would rather watch my tank turn green than muck around on the glass. So its not abnormal that your algea eater doesn't eat algea. Instead, he waits for you to feed your goldfish... Goldfish and algea eaters have similar diets (plants).

As for the algea problem itself.. the tank should have actually been cleaned out with vinegar. Vinegar kills the algea spores.

You never want to restart your tank if you absolutely don't have to. Every time you clean the rocks and drain the tank, you're resetting the biological culture of bacteria that keeps a healthy tank healthy. But seeing how this algea will not go away, start over with new rocks. Soak your filter system in bleach (add just enough bleach so there is a small scent.) After about 24 hrs soaking, you're going to want to soak it in clean water and flush it every couple hours then let dry in the sun. If there is any dried on or dead algea, you can knock it off at that time. This can be used for the decorations as well.

A good algea killer is the Algea Destroyed Advanced Liquid. It works great in ponds! There are smaller bottles that are formulated for tanks. But pond people swear by this brand!

All your other fish died because goldfish are dirty. They pollute the tank with high levels of ammonia that is very hard to keep level. The only other fish you would be able to keep successfully would be more goldfish. As far as good algea eaters, snails are the best.. However, goldfish eat snails (doesnt matter the size of the snail either!)... so I guess pick your poison lol. Snails will also reproduce like nuts... the Goldfish would be able to keep the number down, but you'd still be swamped with snails. However, I have heard that Apple Snails do not overpopulate like crazy. But a snail is a snail.

If I were you.. I'd get new rock and make all these changes. Add PRIME by Seachem. It's a good water conditioner that helps with the nitrate, nitrite and ammonia in the tank. It also adds good bacteria.

On the flip side. It could be your water too. Every spring time, my tank explodes with algea. It lasts for about 2 months, and then is gone.

But.. Once you get your tank heading in the right direction, you shouldn't need to fuss with it. Just maintain it by taking out 25% of the water out each week, and then a 50% water change once a month. Because you have a goldfish and are hoping to add new fish.. keep to this schedule for maintaining healthy water conditions and you may be able to introduce more goldfish to the tank. But keep in mind... Goldfish get huge. Rule of thumb is one inch per gallon. Don't overstock your tank, especially with goldfish, otherwise you'll be having more issues than algea.

Oh, and one more thing... Algea doesn't necessarily mean you have a sick tank. Its ugly, it has the possibility to steal oxygen from the fish, but it also indicates that the biological system in the tank is healthy. Unless of coarse its slimy and has a smell to it. But bright green algea is OK.

One more thing! If you want your goldie to get some good nutrients, feed him a slice of orange. The vitamin C enhances the colors. They also like peas. At the pet store I worked at, we had to give that to the fish every day, but once a week is just fine. And.. goldies like warm water :P They do OK in cold water.. But they do really good in a tank heated at about 70 degrees.

Good luck

[Alty]

Wow, you guys are good, we need a fish forum!

I didn't know about vinegar so I'll definitely try it because sadly I think I do have to clean out the entire tank again if I ever want to get rid of this algae.

I was going to try bleach but I was scared to, I didn't know if it would be safe. I will this time. :)

Snails are not an option. My dad had snails. Actually, he had snail, it just turned into snails to the point where that was all he had, 50 gallons worth of snails. He ended up giving all of them away and we still had more we hadn't seen. They breed like rabbits! ;)

Goldie was bought for 27 cents when he was the size of my pinky finger nail. They guaranteed he wouldn't live past two weeks. ;) He's 5 years old now.

[cdad]

Just remember to rinse well when you use vinegar because it is acidic and if you need an alternative you can use salt alkaline to scrub with.

[shazamataz]

My tank with my Betta is similar... the decorations are covered in algae and the glass gets coated in it.

I just turn the filter on and use a plastic cake spatula to scrape the algae off the glass. I do it every few weeks when it just starts to build up.

Do you have a bubbler in your tank?
If you have a lot of algae it would be sucking all the oxygen out of the water and can make the fish sick.

[Alty]

A bubbler? Shazzy, are you speaking Aussie? ;)

I just have a filter and for some reason the algae gets worse when it's on, it actually dissipates a little if I leave the filter off for a while.

[shazamataz]

Lol by bubbler I mean one of those stones that have air coming out of them... or just bubbles coming out of the filter.

It's a catch 22, if you put oxygen in the water you feed the algae, but if you don't put oxygen you kill the fish.

Algae is evil.

[Lucky098]

A bubbler? Shazzy, are you speaking Aussie? ;)

I just have a filter and for some reason the algae gets worse when it's on, it actually dissipates a little if I leave the filter off for a while.

You could always invest in a UV sterilizer. It attaches to the filter system and runs the water through a tube with UV lights in it. Kills a lot of algea. They're spendy though...