Pearling

[rich311k]

Lots of plants, light and CO2 as well as a good fert plan.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

its a balance..... lights co2 plus ferts help

 

[fgump]

After I did my water change last night, my cabomba started pearling. First time it's happened to me, or at least that I've seen.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

its just the extra o2 in the water from water change. i can get my whole tank looking like that with the hose.... it really doesnt count even thought it looks nice.

 

[Yoemen]

well technically speaking, it is still pearling. The water is still saturated with O2. It is the same as running your CO2 levels really high and you can cause the same thing, though it is much more wasteful.

 

[Squawkbert]

Things that look like pearling:

• outgassing of water due to an even modest increase intemperature - comonly happens during water changes, appears to be pearling because plants make/have good nucleation sites
  
• trapped gasses escaping from plants in little streams of bubbles - this is usually a sign that there has been some damage to a leaf. Not to worry, but not pearling
  
• very small CO2 or air bubbles condensing on plant surfaces and coalescing into larger bubbles - if you're using a microdiffuser of CO2 reactor that results in production of microscopic bubbles, this can happen

Real pearling is indicative of photosynthesis happening at break-neck speed in areas of low water flow and should be accompanied by rapid plant growth throughout the tank, even if just some plants pearl. If that's waht you're seeing, you should see it more commonly as you get further into your tank's photoperiod (pearling does not happen 2 minutes after your lights come on). If your plants don't pearl, it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong.

 

[Yoemen]

well on the CO2 thing I am using a reactor and literrally mean I had every plant from ludwigia to vals to wisteria to even my BGA creating air bubbles on the underside of their leaves and throughout the BGA. This was because my CO2 had gotten up over 50 ppm because my nephew had played with the valve and cranked it open. It was cool to see, but freaked me out. After I got it back in check, haven't had it happen again, plus the BGA has basically died out.

 

[fgump]

I suppose it could be due to temperature change. I don't use a thermometer, I just best guess by sticking my hand in the water. And I have seen 1 to 2 degrees change in the past. But I didn't check last night.

On the other hand, I have a BGA problem atm. And it was pearling a couple of days ago with no water change.

So who knows. But I've never seen my plants pearling before, so thought I'd share