I need some advice on algae eaters!

IntenseCookie

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Jun 7, 2014
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Arizona
My brother owns a red eared slider, he got her for Christmas a few years ago. He doesn't take care of her, so I do. We have a huge tank for her outside. I've set up some cinder blocks that she can easily climb on and off of, but they're probably just temporary.
I clean out the tank every couple of days because it seems to get so dirty too fast. We have about eight goldfish, and one plecostomus in her tank. (We add crayfish too.. but they get eaten fairly quickly).
Bobeana (the turtle, pronounced bo-bee-nah), is too small to eat the seven year old plecostomus, and she's not as interested in the goldfish as she used to be. So I have some animals in the tank that help keep it clean.. but I would like to know some more algae eaters that are too big for her to eat, or some that she wouldn't be interested in?
I think her tank holds about 250 gallons of water.
 

Flipper

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May 27, 2014
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How big is the "huge" tank out side? It maybe getting dirty so quickly because it's already over stocked. Adding more animals may not be the solution. Do you filter the tank in addition to water changes? Do you rinse out the sponges with each water change? Live plants may help more than adding more animals. Floating plants like water lettuce, duckweed and water hyacinth may keep the algae at bay and help with nitrites :)

Good luck! :)
 

IntenseCookie

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Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
19
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
How big is the "huge" tank out side? It maybe getting dirty so quickly because it's already over stocked. Adding more animals may not be the solution. Do you filter the tank in addition to water changes? Do you rinse out the sponges with each water change? Live plants may help more than adding more animals. Floating plants like water lettuce, duckweed and water hyacinth may keep the algae at bay and help with nitrites :)

Good luck! :)
Thanks, that helps alot :) It's about 250 gallons of water. I worry about adding more animals for that reason.. goldfish are a mess but they keep the tank free of mosquitoes. I haven't thought about plants though, I will definitely give that a shot! Thank you :)
 

Tom

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I think Flipper is on the right track. You can reduce the algae by reducing its food source. Do some frequent partial water changes to reduce the amount of fertilizer (bacterially digested fish poop and other waste products) that is available to the algae. A large pleco should have no trouble keeping up with a 250. Adding other plants to compete for those nutrients will also reduce algae.
 
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