They have the ability to stick to the substrate so it is sometimes rather difficult to catch them with a pipette. When you finally think you've got it it sticks inside the pipette. The name Bacillaria paradoxa is not correct anymore. It should now be called Bacillaria paxillifer. Why discard a name that covers the content so well.
Diatoms are wonderful objects under the microscope.
This seems an odd thing when you realise that you miss half of the organism and see only it's coat. The shells of diatoms are indeed beautifully ornamented. But this can also been seen when the living tissue is still in it. The way the chloroplasts lie inside the shell is in fact very beautiful too. And watching Bacillaria and its relatives move is a fantastic sight.