pearling with diy co2

[Cichlid Kid]

So, I've been doing diy co2 on my 20g long for a few months now. Usually with alternating the recharging of 2-2liter bottles I maintain about 1 bubble per 2-3 seconds.
Well my question is this, towards the end of my 8hr photoperiod i have good pearling but also there will be little trails of fine bubbles coming off of my crypts and swords. I know that pearling is a good thing and would assume that because the plants are taking in optimal amounts of co2 that the pearling bubbles are mostly oxygen? What about the little stream of tiny bubbles? Are they just an extreme pearling type action?
I just wanna make sure everything is ok with my plants. I've wanted to ask this question for a while now but didn't because i felt stupid.

 

[fort384]

Sounds all good and healthy to me - my crypts always did this when I ran them in a healthy high light system with good, consistent and high co2 injection.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Ok, thanks alot fort. I didn't think anyone was gonna answer at first.
So is the tiny trails of bubbles just excess pearling oxygen?

 

[fort384]

Yes, it is. As you know plants give off oxygen during photosynthesis. If the plant is in high gear, the oxygen will be given off at such a rate that it is not absorbed into the water column and will actually float to the surface as bubbles. I have had high light tanks that looked like someone dumped aqua seltzer in the water by the end of the photo period there was so much pearling. This is an old vid of 1 of my tanks with a crappy camera but you can see on some of the closeups that there are bubbles streaming everywhere, even from slow growers like java ferns.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

That video is awesome! Beautiful tank.
Btw, is that microsword i seen in the lower right corner? I really like the java fern on the dw. It's great to see setups like that. Reminds me of why I'm pinchin pennies for a co2 system and better lighting for my 40b.

 

[fort384]

Lower right corner is blyxa japonica. Thanks for the compliments. That was back during my collectoritis phase when I crammed every species of plant I could find into 1 tank . Most of my setups over past several years have been simpler, 2-3 plant species setups.

 

[Paxdaddy]

Lower right corner is blyxa japonica. Thanks for the compliments. That was back during my collectoritis phase when I crammed every species of plant I could find into 1 tank . Most of my setups over past several years have been simpler, 2-3 plant species setups.

No joke that tank is beautiful. Love the video!

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Well i guess it sounds like I'm on the right track.
Thanks again for your help.

 

[fort384]

Absolutely! While pearling is not inherently the only sign of a healthy tank (nor is it required to have healthy plants) it is usually a good sign that things are doing well.