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What's the best way to handle algae? And is it possible to handle it without "starting over"?

It's a 25 gallon tank with live plants. I have two of those black algae eaters. Algae destroyer liquids don't seem to work.

Check out http://www.thekrib.com and you will find some of the best methods to maintain a planted tank with the algae in balance. You can not eliminate algae completely nor is it even probably desirable in a healthy planted aquascape. The subject is too complicated to get a simple answer but you can kiss the algaecides goodbye unless you are happy with artificial plants.

what type of algae is causing you problems ? color / shape ?

It's little green spots on the side of the glass, for the most part. Getting on my live plants too. Appreciate the help guys.

The green spot algae is pretty difficult to combat with any other method than "elbow grease", i.e. manual labour [scraping/rubbing/etc]...

Since it's growing very slowly (in my experience), it shouldn't cause too great a problem.

If it's a BIG problem, the key is to reduce one or both of the "essentials": Light and nutrition. Light for less number of hours will reduce the growth of algae (and plants). Less of the nutritions will reduce algae growth. Having the right balance of nutrition for your plants may also be a factor - algae can live on some of the plant nutrition, but higher plants will require more different forms of nutrition - so if you have high levels of some nutrients, the plants may still not absorb it, becuse they lack something else.

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Mats

Green spot algae is usually an indicator of an unbalanced system of nutrients lack of competion from thriving higher plants and as you have found is impervious to algaecides. As your tank matures it will usually become lsss dominant as the higher plants outcompete it for nutrients. Bushynose plecos will help some as will scaping with an algae scraper.
Planted aquariums go through an ecological succession and algaes thrive in the high nutrient content not yet being more extensively being used by well growing higher plants.
The balance of those nutrients is what controls the growth of higher plants to the defeat of the algaes. You neeed to understand this and that is why I gave you thekrib link. There is no magic bullet solution but it will become manegeable with understanding and proper conditions becoming established and the algae problem will recede to "normal".
Other good catfish for algae eaters are Otocinclus and if you have room and the budget, Sturisoma "royal Farlowella" are very good algae eaters that don't harm plant leaves.