Pearling!!!

[genitor]

I turned on my tank lights this morning and noticed that one of the two cf's (screw in type) was not working. I had a 15 Watt and a 20 Watt, the 15 Watt is the one that blowed. So I went out and got a 23 Watt and installed it, About an hour later I looked at the tank and my plants are pearling for the very fist time!

The tank is a 15gal. I think I will replace the 20 Watt too since it is over a year old and the light output is considerably reduced.

[gm72]

Okay, I'll be the dummy since I don't have live plants and ask: "What is pearling?"

[Drumachine09]

Okay, I'll be the dummy since I don't have live plants and ask: "What is pearling?"



I think its when there is either so much oxygen or C02 dissolved into a tank, that it appears as a bubble attatched to a plant, or decor.

[gm72]

Soooooo, is it something you want to see?

[genitor]

Pearling is when the plants are carrying out photosynthesis so fast that they produce bubbles of oxygen. It means that there is a good balance of light, nutrients and co2. A lot of other factors determine if it will or will not happen.

[dev]

Congrats genitor, Good work! :D

Pearling is when the plants' photosynthesis produce more oxygen than can be dissolved into the water, so they form small bubbles on the leaves.

If you give them even better conditions your tank will look like it contains sparkling water, bubbles coming up all over the place.

If your tap water is rich on oxygen and you do a cold water change (I always do, and mine is), you may trigger pearling for a while even with less perfect conditions. As the water will be oversaturated with oxygen. (Cold water can dissolve more oxygen than warmer water, one of the reasons you should not keep hillstream loaches in a community tank).

Pearling is a good sign that the plants are getting enough nitrogen, phosphate, light and CO2. Lack of pearling doesnt have to mean your plants are in bad shape, and vice versa - even if they are pearling, they could still be lacking trace elements.

I hardly ever got any bubbles until I started using T-5 tubes even with moderate CO2 levels.

It is also a sign that the oxygen saturation of the water has reached 100% and the fish should be very happy ;) This is not possible without plants, and is yet another reason why you should do planted tanks hehe

[genitor]

Thanks for the info. dev.
Right now there are only 2 pearl gouramis in that tank, They will be replaced by a pair of angels and the gouramis will go in another tank.

[gm72]

Dev, thanks a lot for the informative post. Great information, much appreciated.