Just gold fish

Question
I have a small 2 gallon tank and two gold fish...

The tank has algae growing on the glass ...  which I infer is from too much light since that it what I read in a question above. Itr never happened in winter. Summer is coming and the tank is in the window.  I live in Texas. I guess I will move it to interior space.  But

 Can I put an algae eater in with gold fish and if I do will a simple filter work or do I have to get fancy.     Probably I need a 5 gallon tank.  Will anything keep their tank cleaner or do I just clean it monthly as I do now.   I don;t feed them alot.

Actually I just want one more species... What other fish could I add to gold fish.  Walmart sells those african frogs... will they work?

One more BIg question that you may know.  My nephew has a gold fish... Raised from 2 inches.  It is over a foot long.  Lives in a barrel in the dirt dug into the ground in summer and a 25 gallon tank with 10 inches of water in the winter inside. Looks like he never changes the water.  It is just clear green.   No filter...   I do not understand how this can be. How did this fish make it.  Maybe he doesn't feed it.  Guess I never asked him.  Or do we all over feed our gold fish.

Thanks  I just love fish.  I go to the Aquarium restaurant all the time just to watch them swim.  Houston has no Aquarium.  4th largest city... that is sad.  


Helene  

Answer
Hi Helene;

Algae is a very natural and healthy part of keeping fish. Just wipe it off occassionally and move it from the window. The real problem for your fish is that a 2 gallon is not big enough for even one goldfish. Goldfish are very messy guys that need at least 10 gallons per fish with a good filter once they get over 3 inches long. They will start suffocating from the burning of their gills due to waste toxins like ammonia and nitrite. The sign of this is that they look like they are eating but there is no food up there. They are gasping for air. It will get worse when summer hits because the higher the water temperature, the lower the oxygen saturation in the water. So, get a 10 gallon tank and don't add any other fish or even frogs to it. The goldfish are more than enough and will outgrow that one too. Just to keep them alive for right now they need 50% of their water changed every week or more often. If you get a test kit from the local fish store that tests ammonia and nitrite you will see why.  

Here is more info about goldfish and their needs;

http://www.netpets.org/fish/reference/freshref/goldfaq.html
http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/Goldfish.html
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/care.html

I don't know how that poor big goldfish of your nephew's is still alive without a filter to oxygenate the water. I guess he just happened to get a very tough one. Most don't live more than a few days in those conditions. Poor guy.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins