What creatures eat diatom?

[TheAnglerAquarist]

I have an issue with it growing and I was thinking of getting a snail but what else should I consider? I am going to my lfs today

 

[MacZ]

what else should I consider?

Finding the reason for the diatoms in the first place. Usually it's nothing more to do than tweaking lighting hours or nutrients to get rid of them.

 

[carsonsgjs]

Nerites love diatoms. After that, they will need a source of food.

 

[NearMeBettas]

Some good old Nerites will eat it. Personally I would just figure out why the algae is growing. Can you give some information on it?

 

[TheAnglerAquarist]

Some good old Nerites will eat it. Personally I would just figure out why the algae is growing. Can you give some information on it?

I have had it since I dosed fertilizer and I might have put the lights on for too long

 

[NearMeBettas]

I have had it since I dosed fertilizer and I might have put the lights on for too long

As long as you don't mind keeping the snail, that would work well.

 

[TheAnglerAquarist]

As long as you don't mind keeping the snail, that would work well.

I love snails!

 

[MacZ]

Ok, some easy things to check:
- How long is the tank running?
- What's your lighting schedule? How many watts/lumen does the light have?
- What's your maintenance regimen?
- How much fertilizers do you add? Weekly dose and aimed concentration of nitrates (and whatever else you add or test for, e.g. phosphates, iron, potassium...).
- What are your water parameters? (NO3, pH, GH, KH are of interest) Nitrates before and after a waterchange are most interesting in this case.

Diatoms usually turn up in newer tanks or in established tanks with high silica levels.

 

[NearMeBettas]

I love snails!

Same lol!!

 

[Mudminnow]

I think the presence of diatoms is largely linked to the presence of ammonia. At least, that's how it seems in my tanks. Cycling, overfeeding, bad tap water, and undersized filters have been the main sources of ammonia for me.

Here are some animals I have personally seen eat it:

• Otocinclus
• "Pest Snails"
• Nerite Snails
• Siamese Algae Eaters

 

[MacZ]

I think the presence of diatoms is largely linked to the presence of ammonia. At least, that's how it seems in my tanks. Cycling, overfeeding, bad tap water, and undersized filters have been the main sources of ammonia for me.

In short: They are a reliable indicator organism when the biological balance is out of whack.

(Though I don't think it's just linked to ammonia, had a lot of cases without that.)

 

[Ouse]

Wouldn’t animals contribute more to the growth of diatoms rather than the removal of it?

 

[MacZ]

Wouldn’t animals contribute more to the growth of diatoms rather than the removal of it?

Yes. In the end it's e vicious cycle to add algae eaters instead of getting to the root of it. The animals are just a band aid for a broken knee.