Freshwater Aquarium

Question
I have a 10 gallon tank that has been set up for about 2 months now. As of a few days ago I had 2 male guppys, which were all that was left after ich got in my tank. I had asked you a question before and you said i had new tank syndrome, so after the ich i left the 2 guppies in the tank alone for about 4-5 weeks. Then 3 days ago, I went to the store and purchased 3 of what i believe are called lyretail mollies. They seem to be doing fine, but yesterday or the day before i noticed something in my tank. I don't know if it is from the new fish or not. There is a brown coating on the gravel and rocks and plants, like something had settled on them, but nothing seems to be in the water. Also, it seems as if there is almost a little on the walls. It isn't something just in it, because it is like actually attached to the gravel/rocks/plants. It is only on the exposed parts, not the undersides. I would appreciate if you could tell me what this might be and what to do about it. Thank you for your help.
-Alina

Answer
Hi Alina;

It's just brown algae and nothing to worry about. Just wipe it off right before your weekly 25% water change. Brown algae is common in new tanks. It grows on top of things because it needs a little light to grow. It grows on the sides of the tank and on the gravel sometimes too. Once your new tank matures a bit more you should start seeing some green algae too. It's perfectly natural and just needs to be wiped off.

Your mollies actually need green algae and other vegetables to thrive. Give them a piece of cooked green bean or a couple of peeled peas every other day. They like raw squash and cucumber too, just a little chunk broken up. Spirulina algae and romaine lettuce are two of their favorites. Just rinse and drop a piece in. Vegies can stay in the tank for hours without polluting the water, unlike regular flakes and pelleted foods. They just nibble their vegies all day long.

Have fun!

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins