brown algae,also corydoras

Question
QUESTION: hi..  we have a 5 gallon hexagon tank (about 1 1/4 feet deep)...  my thought is the filter is contaminated with the algae...  anywho - initially i probably overfed, amateur mistake - i know, now i just want the algae to go AWAY... i'll try washing the tank/rocks/log with salt Question: table salt w/o iodine?
NEXT...  someone is picking on my corydoras, Cory & Dory, (yes, my daughters and i are geeks!hahaha) we have a female betta (blue in color so less aggressive than a red), two male fancy tail guppies (they killed their girl - let's not discuss why), a ghost shrimp, and the corys...  so,  who do you think is the meanie?  Dory's fins are 'nipped' and Cory's whiskers are 'GONE'.  we did get plant bulbs, but they have not sprouted to date...  we live in a remote area and live plant selection is slim to none...  I DO NOT WANT A SUCKER FISH  it would get too big for the tank, and everyone would be unhappy(er)... we were hoping the corys and ghost shrimp would be enough for cleaners.  
thoughts....PLEASE & THANK YOU  mary$daughters

ANSWER: Mary,
non iodized salt will do fine.
quite possibly the ghost shrimp is causing the damage.
I am guessing the plant bulbs are from wal mart and are a crispus variety.
Some times they come along, sometimes they don;t. its a wait and see thing.
You may want an Otociclus sucker cat. they stay small, don;t bother anyone and are reasonably hardy.
they are excellent algae eaters and will clean the rocks as well.
Add in a piece of driftwood for them to rasp on and you will be good to go.
If you need plants, mail me. I may be able to get some to you priority mail.
If you have further questions, just ask.

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QUESTION: whoops...i asked a question in my thank you...  if you are not able to retrieve and respond - i'll rewrite it.

Answer
Mary,
you can take the ghost to your local shop and perhaps trade him in for an otto cat.
Or you can swap with someone that you know who has a tank that can handle him.
remember any shrimp, crab etc can be dangerous, they eat literally anything that comes along.
If you need more assistace, just ask.