Pearling

[Amicus]

This is probably a silly question. I have read different folks talking about their plants pearling. What exactly is it and is it a bad thing?
Thanks

 

[Esoteric Backbone]

Are you refering to the little bubbles on the plant leaves?

 

[Amicus]

Not sure. I am running pressurized CO2 and when my lights are on I think that at least some of the bubbles are from photsynthesis. I thought pearling might be a physical characteristic of the plant.

 

[rich311k]

Pearling is bubbles of O2 that form on the edges of leaves under water. It comes about when the plants are photosynthesizing so well that the O2 they are releasing can not be absorbed in the water quickly enough and the bubbles form. It is not harmful and can look quite pretty.

 

[mfdrookie516]

It is a good sign that your plants are doing well, as Rich hinted around at.... But that doesn't mean that if your plants aren't pearling, they aren't healthy. This is most common in high tech setups with high light and co2 injection, but isn't unheard of in lower light, low tech setups.

 

[Amicus]

Thanks all

 

[Homedog98]

It is a good sign that your plants are doing well, as Rich hinted around at.... But that doesn't mean that if your plants aren't pearling, they aren't healthy. This is most common in high tech setups with high light and co2 injection, but isn't unheard of in lower light, low tech setups.

So if I have very low light, and tiny bubbles on my anubias nana, is that pearling? And I'm talking tiny, like... Head of a pin tiny.

 

[Amicus]

I think so, just my 2 cents but I had bubbles streaming out of one of my plants and I am now attributing that to pearling.

 

[Homedog98]

Do plants pearl when they're dying? Cause my anubias has a few leaves turning brown... Is this bad?

 

[Amicus]

Do plants pearl when they're dying? Cause my anubias has a few leaves turning brown... Is this bad?

Sounds like we have a few of the same issue going on right now. I have some brown patches too but the rest of the plant is doing ok, I think.

 

[mfdrookie516]

A steady stream of bubbles is not pearling... neither is having bubbles all over them after a water change. Typically, you see a stream of bubbles after trimming or if a plant is damaged. Pearling is very incosistent at best.

 

[Amicus]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Homedog98]

A steady stream of bubbles is not pearling... neither is having bubbles all over them after a water change. Typically, you see a stream of bubbles after trimming or if a plant is damaged. Pearling is very incosistent at best.

Thanks, mine isn't really a stream... Just minuscule bubbles on the surface of the plant... Probably just oxygen bubbles, but are brown leaves always a bad thing?

 

[Batt4Christ]

Yes, pearling is a product of photosynthesis. When you have loads of good light plus plenty of carbon (usually via CO2), and plenty of nutrients, you get pearling- the release of oxygen by the plant. I started seeing it soon after adding a 2nd bottle to my DIY "homebrew" CO2 setup. It's pretty neat to see, and is a sign that your plants are really growing.