i have some silk plants which are only about 6 months old, they looked fantastic at the start but now they are thickly covered in brown algae which i try to remove during water changes but it is extremely stubborn and i think it has actually discoloured the silk anyway. the fish pick at the algae quite a lot which helps to remove it. I'm just tired at looking at this big brown forest in my tank when it looked so beautiful at the start...any solutions?

Thanks in advance
Jude

The only way I can get rid of the brown algae on my silk plants is by soaking them in a 1:20 bleach solution. I try to scrub as much as I can with my hands under really hot water then let them soak until they look like new again, then rinse, rinse, rinse until you cant smell the bleach anymore

I've mentioned this before,and it does seem to help alot.First of all,get into the habit of doing it more often.You can use the Bleach solution(which works fantastic by the way)as long as you rinse over & over,Or you can do what I do alot-buy yourself a toothbrush,(soft bristles),and "gently" scrub each leaf.it's time consuming,but it does work.

I have this problem too. I have used a sponge with a "scrubby" side and a soft side to remove it. It did come back. Since I cant find a bristlenose pleco, I put my small common in there for a few days and he cleaned things up nicely.

Hi, I just read your post.. I bought some really nice silk plants, and one company had better quality, Sea ?, their instructions to clean the plants is: take them out of the tank, let them dry overnite, THEN scrub them with a bristled brush...
I personally avoid using bleach for anything going into the tank, it's just too toxic and I'd be leary of some residue left on it... I know I've tried using Aquarium/Sea salt as a scrubbing agent, and/or baking soda, all natural, no side effects, don't have to worry about it harming the fish ever! hope this helps... I know my silk plants start looking dark and ugly at times! Lynn

The sun, if you can find any - is magic at getting rid of brown algae. Just leave the plants outside for a day. I put mine in a shallow bucket and hang the bucket on the line so the dog doesn't get them.