kerberos

i'm actually not too sure what it is, but it's this brown colored fungusy stuff accumulating on my fake plants and decortive items. I don't know if this is normal and it just needs to be cleaned or if it's bad bacteria. My ph is in normal range.

Semantic Drift

Sounds like it could be brown (diatomaceous) algae. I'd sic some snails on it, if I were you, as it is cosmetically unappealing. No drastic hurry, though, as it is harmless to your tank. Also, make sure that you aren't overfeeding your fish; the decomposing food can provide nutrition for algae.

Just general advice - but I'd also advise to wait for someone who has firsthand knowledge of this problem.

sgould

Yes, sounds like diatoms, which are harmless. It is pretty common in newer tanks and will usually clear up by itself eventually. If it is bothering you and you don't want to wait for it to clear, it wipes off easily.