Advanced question about diatoms

[Miami Reef]

Today I learned that diatoms are free swimming and the brown/gold dusting on the sand/rocks are the shells of the dead diatoms.

Whenever I don’t change my RODI, I get the diatom brown dusting on my sandbed. I noticed these diatom “shells” attach to the glass etc. When I change out the filter the dusting goes away within a week.

Here’s my questions:

How does diatom shells attach to objects like sand and glass?

How do the shells disappear within a short time period after removing their food source?

^ I don’t vacuum my sandbed and I hardly have any CUC. I don’t think anything is eating diatom shells.

 

[Lasse]

Today I learned that diatoms are free swimming and the brown/gold dusting on the sand/rocks are the shells of the dead diatoms.

Whenever I don’t change my RODI, I get the diatom brown dusting on my sandbed. I noticed these diatom “shells” attach to the glass etc. When I change out the filter the dusting goes away within a week.

Here’s my questions:

How does diatom shells attach to objects like sand and glass?

How do the shells disappear within a short time period after removing their food source?

^ I don’t vacuum my sandbed and I hardly have any CUC. I don’t think anything is eating diatom shells.

I´m afraid that you are misinformed - Diatoms can be phytoplankton but also benthic (it means attaching to a substrate) There is a lot of species with different habitats - se here

https://diatoms.org/news/where-do-diatoms-live

and here

Diatom - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Miami Reef]

I´m afraid that you are misinformed - Diatoms can be phytoplankton but also benthic (it means attaching to a substrate) There is a lot of species with different habitats - se here

https://diatoms.org/news/where-do-diatoms-live

and here

Diatom - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics

www.sciencedirect.com

Sincerely Lasse

Thank you Lasse! This answered all my questions!