Do I Need To Scrub Diatoms Off Live Plants?

[NeonBlueLeon]

So I have a relatively young 20 gallon tank that is starting to form diatoms.  The tank is lightly planted but the diatoms grow on the leaf surfaces.  Do the diatoms block light from reaching the leaves? Do I need to scrub off diatoms from the leaves? 
 
Thanks for any help!  I am new at keeping live plants

 

[Zikofski]

hello, and yes you can try to wipe of the diatoms as yes they will kill of the leaf over time.
 
the cause of the diatoms is due to your new tank, probably causes are ammonia silica it may even be undetectable to your test kits and wont be harmful to your fish but enough to cause these i am having diatoms in my tank that is well establish and i am 100% positive mine are caused by ammonia levels caused by rotting plant's and fish poop as my tank is so big and so densely planted its hard to get all of the die'ing leafs 
 
good luck and welcome to the planted world plants are lovely when you get the hang of things

 

[frothhelmet]

The easiest way to deal with diatoms is biological removal. I would invest in ramshorn snails, MTS, or otocinclus to get rid of it naturally.

 

[daizeUK]

I would wait it out.  I had diatoms for the first two months but it seems to be receding naturally now.  Just keep wiping it off until the tank settles in.  I use my fingers to carefully wipe leaves and a toothbrush for scrubbing rocks and wood (I bought a cheap new one just for the purpose).

 

[snazy]

They are very common in immature tanks because of trace levels of ammonia+light. Also can be caused by lack of flow/dead areas.
I'd remove them from the leaves as best as you can as it will kill them in time.
 
When cleaning diatoms, it's best to either use something that collects them. I use kitchen towels for the glass or do a water change afterwads, removing the ones that will start floating after the scrub. Otherwise they just re-attach somewhere else.