brown stuff all over...

ok, I have a ten gallon tank, and recently parts of the gravel, parts of the (fake) plants, and parts of my decorations have become covered in a brown substance. my first though was hey, algae, but my ghost shrimp and snails haven't touched it. should I get some corys or algae eaters? or just vacuum the **** out of everything. what is this stuff?

 

  It probably is an algae.  There are several different kinds.  Each scavenger deals with their own specific favorite.  So if you try another scavenger, I would think this would take care of it.  I do not suggest EVER getting a chinease algae eater.  They get big and aggressive toward other tank mates, and stop eating the algae after they get bigger.  A dwarf Pleco would help, but might still be to big for a 10 gal.     Otos are a really good way to go, get several.  They are small work together, and are much happier this way.  They clean off leaves, decorations, and the glass.  Corys  are more help cleaning left over food that falls to the bottom, not cleaning algae. 

Fish in the Frozen North.  -2 & wind !!! 

 

These are diatoms, just a natural stage in most fairly new tanks, Otos love them
Carol

 

great! I just love those little guys...should 3 be ok??

 

Yes three would be great! Just a side note: when you shop for Otos- ask how long they've had them. If they've had them less than a week don't buy them. Check for round tummys, this means their eating good. acclimate them to your water very carefully. Otos are caught from their wild habitat and treated very roughly that's why a lot die when we bring them home. By checking that they have survived at the fishstore at least a week and their tummys are round you are more likely to get healthy fish. otocinclus is a great place to learn all about them. Good luck!!
Carol

 

I agree with everyone. Otos are probably the best brown alage eaters. Their small sizes help them reach places that other larger algae eaters can't reach. My otos cleaned my aquarium in a few days. I was pretty amazed.