Algae Nightmare...

[Kaikoura]

And maybe a little bit of health advice.

A few months ago, I acquired a red-eared slider from my younger cousin. She had him for, roughly, five years. Out of nowhere, she decided she didn't want him anymore.
When I got him, he was in a five gallon tank, with about a gallon of water, and an underwater filter system. There were a bunch of those glass gems substrate.

Since then, I have done my best with what little I have to make this turtle a lot happier. As much as I would have liked a tank, I simply do not have the means to afford it, even from looking at different sites that sell used tanks in my local area. I bought a rubbermaid container that holds about 20 gallons, I estimated it to.
The "tank" has about 10-12 gallons of water in it. I found a much smaller container that holds about half a gallon (I think it was supposed to be a tank or something) that I use as a basking platform. It sets on its side so that he has as much room as he can to swim. With rocks, I set up a very sturdy ramp up to the platform so he can bask out of the water completely. I even installed his tank with a Whisper overflow filter, instead of the other one. The only problem that I have ever has was algae. It just grows relentlessly, and it's turned the water neon green. At first, I bought a pleco to try to keep it down, but the little guy just can't eat it fast enough.
I don't want to overcrowd the tank more than it already is. I am fully aware that I need at least a 60 gallon for the turtle. (I have almost no money to buy anything, so I'm working with what I have.) I've thought about getting that algae fix, which is supposed to kill the algae, but I don't want to make it so that the pleco has nothing to eat. (Of course, I could get algae wafers...)
Would it be advisable to get that?
I'm changing the light that I'm using to something much more low wattage to keep the algae from growing too fast. What else can I do to control it?

Next off, I sometimes worry about whether or not my turtle may suffer from medical problems. My cousin got him when he was very small, but legal to sell. She's had him in that 5 gallon tank all of his life, practically. What kind of things should I keep an eye out for, and what can I do to keep him healthy?
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

[Willow]

Plecos are very "dirty" fish and will add a LOT of waste to the water. They also don't eat much algae. And most varieties of Plecostomus will get to be about 2 feet long, they grow fast, too......if you can return the Pleco, that would probably be best. The main cause of excessive algae is too much pollution in the habitat. This would be from the turtle and the Pleco making a lot of waste. Both turtles and Plecos are notorious poopers, LOL. The tub you haev is kind of small. Is it possible to upgrade to a larger Rubbermaid tote? A lot of aquatic turtle keepers use the big totes, I think they hold about 55 gallons or so. I believe they cost around $25.00-$30.00, though I've never really priced one. I don't know about the Algae Fix stuff, it might not be good for turtles. Here's a link to a good turtle forum, someone there should know: http://www.turtleforum.com/

[redpaulhus]

How often are you changing the water ?
I would look at changing it (completely) about once a week.
If you can find a home for the pleco, you can easily remove the turtle every week for about an hour, and scrub the tub clean, then put everything back together and return the turtle.

Also - what kind of lighting are you using ?
Aquatic turtles generally do best with a full spectrum (UVB) flourescent reptile bulb, as well as a 'heat' light over their basking area.

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebI...CareBarton.htm