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I have two gold fish that live in a 55 gal tank. The water is clear, but brown starts to accumulate on the inside of the glass, and on the ornaments in the tank. I have been using a few different water treatments, the water is clear. I use a sponge tank scrapper to get it off of the glass, but the ornaments are all covered with brown. Is there a fish or something else that would clean that stuff up?

I have two gold fish that live in a 55 gal tank. The water is clear, but brown starts to accumulate on the inside of the glass, and on the ornaments in the tank. I have been using a few different water treatments, the water is clear. I use a sponge tank scrapper to get it off of the glass, but the ornaments are all covered with brown. Is there a fish or something else that would clean that stuff up?

Updated On July 8th, 2017

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

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The brown marks are likely diatom growth. You can rid the tank of them by confirming or providing adequate filtration, increasing water motion (use powerheads to create current), remove any tank furniture and scrub with a stiff brush or bleach it, perform a 30-50% water change before returning tank furniture, regulate light exposure (use a timer on tank lights), repeat this process every 2 weeks. You will see less diatom growth after each cleaning. If possible, consider moving the goldfish into a larger tank, at least 75 gallons if you have the space.

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