Pearling

[geezer]

My plants seem to growing a bit better now with the addition of co2. Themuleous has helped me out alot and I think it's at a good level!

My plants don't seem to pearl though. Is it only some types of plants that do this? or should they all pearl?

My polysperma has grown 15 inches within a week

 

[craynerd]

Humm, i always find that the higher my light the more they perl. To be fair, i have only just set up my tank and my plants are not perling fully yet. I am not worrying tho, they are probably just bedding in. If yours is a new setup, this may be the same issue.

Things like cabomba, rotala, riccia, java ferns, some crypts! perl a lot.


Chris

 

[Themuleous]

Yeh think the more light you have the more pearling you get. Well so long as everything else is provided of course.

 

[Liam]

My tank is in sunlight, on really sunny days the plants pearl like mad. On overcast days not much at all. The pearls are more visible on pinnate feathery leaves like cabomba, on the polysperma the leaves are big, the pearls collect under the leaf and when they get big enough they force the leaf up and go to the surface. This a pic of the cabomba after an hour or two of sun. The filter gets a bit noisy with the amount of oxygen in the water on very sunny days.

 

[George Farmer]

geezer - what lighting do you have?

Plants produce oxygen and as you probably know, it is through a process called photosynthesis. More light+CO2 = higher photosynthesis rate = more oxygen. When the water column becomes saturated with oxygen it becomes visible in the form of the oxygen bubbles produced from the plant.

Most plants will pearl given a sufficient quantity and balance of light, CO2 and other nutrients. Faster growing species will pearl "easier" and more rapidly than shade loving plants, but even shade loving plants will pearl if there's enough light, CO2 etc.

Pearling is an excellent indicator that things are well. If your tank is well-lit, CO2 injected and contains ideal nutrient levels then pearling should commence within a few hours (I've had mine start from under 30 minutes) of lighting. It will normally become more intense throughout the photoperiod. Look for consistent pearling intensity through the week as this is a sign that our CO2 and fert dosing regime is ideal. If you normally witness pearling and do not then this is a sign that something is wrong, it could be low CO2, nutrient deficiency or old lighting.

 

[voo]

i have cabomba, the green and red/brown versions, but it doesnt pearl what watts/Gallon do they need?

 

[geezer]

coralife lights. 4 x 65 watt bulbs i only use two of them though which i think gives me 2.3 WPG

 

[voo]

hmm i guess that is why... i only have 1.2 wpg
CO2 is fine, and the plants are growing too fast!!! But no pearling

Anyone know where to get a cheap 18W starter/ballast? would prefer one that can control 2 lights rather than having 2 controlling 1 light each.

 

[jayjay]

I got my algae to pearl but can't get all my plants to aswel

 

[Themuleous]

Geezer, if you have the extra light turn it on and see if it makes a difference, it shouldn't do any harm for a day or two. BTW what are the dimensions of the tank?

 

[geezer]

Sorry for such a slow reply. It's 4 feet wide and I think the height is 20 inches and depth 16 inches (so my gf thinks!)

I turned both lots of lights on and the annubias seems to pearl extra, lighting seemed to help 8)

i"m changing the reactor as the red sea reactor 500 isn't doing well. i'm doing nearly 8bps and it's just floating to the top in big bubbles

I'm gonna purchase this one instead http/www.floridadriftwood.com/product.asp?3=147 . hoping that will help me out a little