Diatoms... good or bad?

[1oooop]

well, I noticed little diatoms floating around in the water, captured one at looked at it with a microscope... it's a wormy kind of diatom... it that okay?

 

[aquarob]

well, I noticed little diatoms floating around in the water, captured one at looked at it with a microscope... it's a wormy kind of diatom... it that okay?

Usually indicates an excess of nutrients in your water column. You might want to do a series of water changes w/ good gravel vacuuming, as diatoms are usually a precursor to algae growth. Diatoms are harmless, but are usually a warning of things to come. My two cents anyway.

 

[Carla G]

Aren't they the natural food for fry?

 

[SchizotypalVamp]

not just fry-all fish-if it's not segmented it's not a problem. However, it can be a sign, as aquarob said, of deteriorating water quality. Lighten up on the feedings, do some more gravel vacs.

Generally not called diatoms, a variety of flatworm or some other worm.

 

[Rbishop]

Those wouldn't be diatoms. But definitely more maintenance is required.

 

[jpappy789]

Agreed, diatoms are not wormy. Any type of intruder like that is usually an indicator that your water quality is slipping as already mentioned.

 

[CaitxSith]

Believe it or not...

Diatoms come in MANY shapes and sizes. For example:

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Are you sure what you've captured is a diatom?

 

[jm1212]

diatoms usually stick to the glass. they literally look like brown algea.

 

[DAVIDFBT]

Sometimes it even looks like a brown sludge if you accumulate it in your filter.