Are diatoms on artificial plants safe to scrub off in the water?

Or do I have to remove them and scrub them off in the sink?

 

Since they're living I would be inclined to clean them outside the tank. Any diatoms knocked off will likely be able to still reproduce. Maybe, if removing them is too much trouble you could hold the gravel vacuum intake close to each plant as you rub the diatoms off so they'd be immediately sucked out of the tank.

 

Aquaphobia is spot on. Diatoms need silicate as part of their cell structure. When you remove the diatoms from the aquarium your removing the silicate with them reducing the amount for new diatoms to use.

You can use a paper towel to wipe them down to try to dispose of as many as you can.

 

Aquaphobia mschwegler thank you very much!!

 

Diatoms are pretty natural in a new or starting tank. I'm letting mine run through its cycle in a cycling tank. They will go away by themselves when they run out of nutrients or if you just wipe them off too. I'm putting a piece of plastic (round edges no sharp stuff on it) grow algae on it so I can feed my otos it. They love diatoms

 

BamBamSorg my gouramis love them too, actually. I just wasn't sure if they could be harmful or anything.

 

No they aren't but to plants they are. If you let the plants be overrun with diatoms then they will die. So if you have any live plants make sure to get a good algae eater like a oto or SAE