snip

You know, you can just siphon out uneaten food and brown algae. Small
tanks need a thorough weekly gravel vac and 50% water change anyway.
That should help with the brown algae too.

I do a weekly siphon which certainly helps, though not as much as 50%,
more like 20%. Right now I don't have any plants, that might help with
the algae problem by removing some of the excess nutrients. I'm
certainly going to look into a snail.
Thanks,
Freud