Pet Forum / Aquaria / Goldfish / January 2005

A little algae does little harm; it certainly doesn't bother the fish. If it
gets out of hand (or just too unsightly to bear) you can remove objects one
at a time and clean them. If you clean them with anything other than treated
tap water make sure you rinse them thoroughly - the tiniest amount of bleach
is a real fish killer. The sides can be scrubbed with any long-handled
squeegee or other tool - see what the LFS has on the shelf.

Algae is a good thing - it helps remove nitrates. Obviously if you
have plants you don't want algae competing for the nutrients in the
water.

I for one like to keep the entire back glass of my tank algae covered. I
never scrape it. I figure that much plant life can be beneficial to the
tank, especially if something were to happen to my filtration. Besides, it
gives the fish a nice grazing area, and looks natural on the larger rocks.