# Why don't my plants ever pearl?



## uncskainch (Feb 22, 2005)

What are you doing in terms of fertilization? And how much light do you have over the tank? Also, what's your stocking level? 

I've gathered from reading in the forum that pearling is caused by oxygen saturation due to lots and lots of photosynthesis and photosynthesis requires, of course, light, CO2 and nutrients. It sounds like you have the CO2 part of the equation covered with a pressurized system, but the other two components might need "tweaking."

Also, if you have a heavily stocked tank, the fish may be using up the oxygen making it harder for your tank to reach the saturation point necessary for pearling.

Disclaimer: I'm new to this, and my plants have yet to pearl...so take my advice with a grain of salt. But I'm working on it!


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## RoseHawke (Mar 10, 2004)

Another thing, some plants pearl more than others. I don't think I've ever seen an anubia "pearling" for example . The pearlweed however (_Hemianthus micranthemoides_,) is very aptly named!

Also, a happy lotus has a "bubbly" personality  . . . Clickable thumbs. Apologies for the less than pristine glass. I took these on the fly just a few moments ago.


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## fusQer (Jan 23, 2006)

I have seachem's complete line for fertilizing and 4x55 AHSUPPLY lights giving me 4 WPG. i hvae like 7 loaches, 15 rummy nose tetras, 5 SAE, a roseline shark, two bristlenoses and a vampire shrimp, not too much.

i should add that if i leave hte co2 on longer my plants WILL pearl, but it will be an unhealthy amount of co2 for the fish. also my bubble rate is off the charts, but my ph controller is there for that reason. are plants more likely to pearl at a slower bubble rate rather than a steady stream in which the bubbles arent even, persay, bubbles?

i figured it doesnt matter since either wya the water is getting co2. and my diffuser is a venturri that red sea includes with their co2 yeast kit (cept im using hte venturri on my injected setup)


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

What are your nutrient levels?


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Sounds like light and co2 are okay. I, with Rex, suspect nutrient deficiencies like NItrate, potassium, Iron, etc.


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## fusQer (Jan 23, 2006)

I appreciate your input guys. I haven't yet tested the nutrient levels, but maybe I can give you guys an idea of what I have. I follow exactly this dosing chart by Seachem:
http://www.seachem.com/products/planted.html (look in the left hand column, very bottom it says "Plant Dosing Chart. Click here." 

Again my tank is 55g, and its not really THAT heavily planted, maybe 60-70%. I will take a photo and link it here and also test nutrient levels. 

I only have test kit to test for Iron (Red Sea Fresh Lab Deluxe). Is there something else specific I should test for?

Thanks again..


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## esarkipato (Jul 19, 2005)

Test kit for nitrate is the one I use most often. I kind of use it as an indicator for the other macros like potassium.

It looks like your ferts dosing should be sufficient . . . and expensive. I use watson ferts and get lots of pearling . . . .

Another question: how is your co2 diffused? Have you read/heard about tom barr's theory of microbubbles? It's basically an argument that by "blowing" tiny bubbles of co2 around the tank the plants will benefit . . . . I think there's some truth.

co2 revelations part 1
co2 revelations part 2


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## fusQer (Jan 23, 2006)

Oh I didn't know it was nitrates I was supposed to be testing for  I'll do that when I get home. 

My CO2 is diffused via a venturri that comes with the Red Sea fermentation method kit. It is diffused exactly the way you mention, tiny bubbles are blended and are output right under the spray bar of my xp3 (horizontal) and the xp3 is running full blast. The bubbles dont really go all over the whole tank though, just go up, hit the jetstream, and bounce around in that area. 

The seachem nutrients are expensive no doubt. I just started my tank in January and got these seachem's during bigals free shipping event. I do want to get the PMDD nutrients but at the time I didn't have the patience to decipher what I need.  

I will also take off my glass tops today, maybe that is diffusing too much light. Any other ideas?


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## PeteyPob (Apr 26, 2004)

The red tiger lotus I gave will pearl pretty crazy. I get a good amount of pearling with most of my plants. I also you GW ferts and have a pretty easy time doing it. 
My anubia pearl, not like the rest of the plants where the bubbles shot stright to the surface. If I look under the leaves of them there are these huge bubbles just chillin. My petite nana also do the same with much smaller bubbles.


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## MoonFish (Feb 12, 2006)

I think if you have a glass top and the water right up next to the glass, you can gas the fish. I'm not sure if it is how much co2 or the way you aren't able to add O2 like with the water exposed. I can mist a bunch of CO2 until it is visually annoying and the UNDERstocked fish don't notice. It gets annoying to look at though. I don't know if my experience is normal or just mine own.


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## fusQer (Jan 23, 2006)

im not completely following what you mean, but my glass tops are by no means airtight... if that matters


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## jake (Feb 20, 2004)

If there is a lot of current in the tank, any pearling might not be noticeable as well.

Pearling is neat, but don't put so much stock in it that your only goal is to have your plants pearl. They're not really an indication of plant health, just an indication that the water is saturated with oxygen. Depending on your situation, you can have very healthy plants and happy fish and never have plants pearl.


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## zenfish (Jan 29, 2006)

Years ago,when I first got into co2..I had heard about pearling and wanted good plant growth as well.
WHat I got was great plant growth but no pearling..The only time I would get pearling was when would change the water..Some told me that it was only loose bubbles from the water change but I knew better..I even went so far as to think it was from osmotic preessure being les during he water change and "squezing" the o2 out..LOL..Boy was I having too much fun back then...
What I think it was at that time and in aother tank which had the same problem was probably three-fold.#1.when I changed the water I would hit saturation point on the o2.and the plants would pearl.#2.I was not fertilizing as I should of been...#3.my lighting was not good enough..
as an example of #3.I had a 240 gallon once,,which eventually spplit a seam..UGGHHH..and had much light over it..enough to get good growth,but no pearling..well.I also had a 1000w MH light over it which I did not use much but I did notice that when I did the plants would start to pearl profusely.
Start with this..change yor water...30% or so should be enough,,and see if your plants start to pearl.this will at least let you know that they are close to being at a point where they will pearl..will be an interesting experiment..
And for the record..I never really did get a straight answer as to why they pearled after a water change.
and my anubius hastofolia pearls both under the leaves and in a stream...
Good luck,
Zen


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## fusQer (Jan 23, 2006)

yes my plants did actually pearl after a water change, and then a day after a water change they continue to pearl, i bet however they dont pearl tomorrow. the algae was really pearling 

i guess its a nutrients thing but i am not spending more money on seachem's line!


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Pearling after a water change means nothing more than you have dissolved gases in your water supply.

I can take a bare tank and get "pearling" after a water change. And I know that glass doesn't pearl.


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## fusQer (Jan 23, 2006)

yup ... thats why i said that i bet 2 days after the WC, there will be no more pearling


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## Plantasia (Jan 11, 2006)

esarkipato said:


> Another question: how is your co2 diffused? Have you read/heard about tom barr's theory of microbubbles? It's basically an argument that by "blowing" tiny bubbles of co2 around the tank the plants will benefit . . . . I think there's some truth.
> 
> co2 revelations part 1
> co2 revelations part 2


I can attest to that! I get lots of nice pearling now after I started using a ceramic disk diffuser placed directly beneath the filter outflow....shoots those tiny bubbles all over the place


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## J86 (Feb 10, 2006)

i'm kinda a n00b at planted tanks, what does "pearling" mean? and does any 1 have a pic?


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## JenThePlantGeek (Mar 27, 2006)

Pearling is when these tiny little bubbles of oxygen form all over your plants making them sparkle. Sometimes the plants make so much O2 that there is a steady stream of bubbles coming up from the plant. Sorry I don't have a picture.


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## ianiwane (Sep 7, 2004)

like someone stated earlier, pearling only happens when O2 is saturated. If you have a high fish load it may never hit saturation.


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## Naja002 (Oct 12, 2005)

Pearling Ricca




.


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## festus (Jul 11, 2005)

Bubbles on plants immediately after a water change, or for a day or so thereafter, have absolutely nothing to do with CO2 injection and/or plants producing O2, and hence are not pearling.

Its simply the release of suspended O2 in the water adhering to whatever surfaces are available.

Take a brand new tank, fill it with water, look at the bubbles on the side. Its the same thing.


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## festus (Jul 11, 2005)

JenThePlantGeek,

I heard someone suggest that if you have a plant that produces a steady stream of bubbles from one point that the plant has some sort of minor damage at that point.

I usually have a few plants that do that though most just pearl the normal way.


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