I know this is a dumb question and I could have searched for the answer somewhere, but I haven't been able to find a solution yet. I have brown spots on my plastic plants that are growing by the day. I've taken them out and cleaned them, cleared algae off the sides of the tank, and brought the ammonia level back down to normal, but I'm most worried about the spotting. My two goldfish are in a 55 gallon tank with two large filters, with biological filtering.

Is there something I'm missing, or a simple explaination for my mistake?

Do the spots look like regular algae? If they are then there is nothing to worry about,
the reason i don't use plastic plants is because i have to clean them. what color is the algae?

o yeah

Brown algae is something that comes when you set up a tank, generally a few weeks into the cycle. One day it will be gone and most likely you wont' see it again.

My 60 I just set up is full of it right now and looks like crap, but I know in a few weeks I won't even remember it.

Brown algae is bad, but green algae is good.

yaa brown algae grows in insufficient lighting.. while green algae grows in excess or just the right amount of light... it will eventually rub off on its own.. if not you could always get an algae eater!! lol