What Is "pearling"

[nmcturner]

What is pearling? I couldn't find any text answers, only pictures of what pearling looks like. To me it just looks like a plant has a lot of air bubbles on it.

Thanks
-Nick

 

[George Farmer]

Pearling is visible oxygen production from plants. It normally occurs when enough light, CO2 and other nutrients are present.

It's a sign that the plants are still producing oxygen when the water column is already saturated in oxygen, hence the bubbles.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

It's a sign that the plants are still producing oxygen when the water column is already saturated in oxygen, hence the bubbles.

I never knew that!! I know it was a sign that the plants where producing oxygen but I didn't know it occurred because the water column was already oxygen saturated. (learn something new everyday ).

Is this why when you do a water change there is more pearling (because the water you add has a higher oxygen content?)

 

[George Farmer]

Yes.

 

[Dave Spencer]

I thought that the O2 bubbles accumulated during pearling as result of rapid photosynthesis producing O2 at a rate faster than it can be dissolved in to the water, rather than the water itself being saturated. O2 is fairly insoluble.

I also thought that the increased levels of pearling after a water change were due to the idea that at low water level, a lot of plants are exposed to atmosphere, and gaseous CO2 is their preferred form of CO2. Isn`t this why CO2 bubbles diffused and blowing around the water column is the most efficient method of CO2 diffusion, because bubbles of CO2 gas come in to direct contact with the leaves?

Dave.

 

[garuf]

i dont know what causes pearling but i do know that my java moss and pearl moss do it the best everyday for the last 4 days come dinner time theres loads of little bubbles coming from there frongs, magnificent looking they are too

 

[john starkey]

Hi all, extract form tropical fish hobbyist mag sept 07 article by Takashi Amano, pearling is created when co2 levels and nurient levels are good and plants grow vigorously during photosythesis, regards john.