I wouldn't remove your gravel, not much, but some of your good bacteria is in there. Plus I bet it is not so bad on the gravel, more on the tank and decorations right? If they are fake plants, a toothbrush and warm water are sufficient. Buy an algae scraper of some kind from the LFS, the magnetic ones are nice, you don't have to get your hands all in the tank that way. Leave your fish in the tank 
: !! You could soak the plants, but the brown algae is usually very easy to remove.
You don't ever want to get fish just to be algae eaters. They still need their own food, and come with their own requirements, so you're right, not a good idea
: !! You could soak the plants, but the brown algae is usually very easy to remove. You don't ever want to get fish just to be algae eaters. They still need their own food, and come with their own requirements, so you're right, not a good idea
