Pearling

[Ryan87500]

I am trying to uncover the mystery of pearling.

I have pressurized co2 and get to a decent green color on the DC. I am running a planted + for 7 hours and 4 cfl bulbs for 3 hours in the middle of my planted + cycle.

I really never see any pearling / bubbles. When I do a water change the plants pearl like crazy.

The only thing I can think of is on non water changes the water is under saturated with oxygen so it instantly dissolves. On water change days I over saturate with oxygen so see the bubbles. But that is just my theory.


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[BBradbury]

Hello Ryan...

The plants' pearling is their way of removing extra oxygen. This will happen after a water change. The process of adding water back into the tank agitates the surface and mixes oxygen into the tank water. If there's a lot of surface movement there's a lot of O2 mixing with the water. Since oxygen is a plant byproduct or side effect, too much O2 is released through the small bubbles.

B

 

[ScotJudd]

Pearling seems to be the aim of a few planted fish tank keepers but when my tank is in balance (co2/oxygen) my plants don't pearl and are VERY healthy.


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[Ryan87500]

Thanks. Wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything by not seeing pearling. I actually enjoy very little bubbles.


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[Fresh2o]

I sometimes see pearling occur after water changes. I believe gases, including O2, are in greater concentration in tap water and when photosynthesis occurs, oxygen is visible as bubbles due to the abundance of dissolved oxygen.
Pearling can also occur after a hydrogen peroxide treatment. Same as above, high O2 concentration.
In my tank, it depends on which light is on. The FugeRay provides 45 PAR and no pearling is visible. When the Planted+ is running then there is some pearling. When both are running (PAR 105-110), most of the plants are pearling and it looks like club soda. As mentioned above, pearling is not necessary for good growth. It does result in rapid growth.


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[Sk3lly]

I finally agree with something Bbradbury has said lol. I must be going soft!!! It's all that Xmas spirit gone to my head. Either that or beer!!!!


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[Gsdsar]

Ok. So confuddled newbie. Is pearling a good or bad thing. Until this thread I never even new it WAS a thing!!!

I noticed pearling on my last 2 PWC. But only because of this topic. Is something out of balance? My plants are doing good. But not growing crazy. I guess I just don't understand the significance of this phenomenon.


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[Brookster123]

Ok. So confuddled newbie. Is pearling a good or bad thing. Until this thread I never even new it WAS a thing!!!

I noticed pearling on my last 2 PWC. But only because of this topic. Is something out of balance? My plants are doing good. But not growing crazy. I guess I just don't understand the significance of this phenomenon.


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Are you injecting co2? Pearling will really only occur regularly in a co2 injected tank.. if you want to witness the phenomenon first hand get a syringe and some hydrogen peroxide. Kill the filters for 20 min and spray it on algae or plants with algae.. fireworks!

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[Sk3lly]

Ok. So confuddled newbie. Is pearling a good or bad thing. Until this thread I never even new it WAS a thing!!!

I noticed pearling on my last 2 PWC. But only because of this topic. Is something out of balance? My plants are doing good. But not growing crazy. I guess I just don't understand the significance of this phenomenon.


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Pearling is a good sign. The bubbles occur when plants produce the bi product, o2 through photosynthesis faster than it can dissolve into the water. This is through o2 saturation in the water. If a plant wasnt healthy then this would not happen.

The reason you see it after a water change is during the water change you are adding highly oxygenated water. Also the splashing and surface agitation caused by doing the change also increases o2 levels


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[Gsdsar]

Are you injecting co2? Pearling will really only occur regularly in a co2 injected tank.. if you want to witness the phenomenon first hand get a syringe and some hydrogen peroxide. Kill the filters for 20 min and spray it on algae or plants with algae.. fireworks!

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I add liquid CO2. Not injected. So maybe I am not seeing actual pearling? Just bubbles from the water change? How do you know the difference?


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[Brookster123]

Pearling would be a more consistent occurrence. For instance.. at the end of my photo period mainly my stem plants will release micro bubbles, some more than others. If I were to shut the filters off it would be very much noticeable.. say 50-100 bubbles at any given moment..

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[Gsdsar]

Pearling would be a more consistent occurrence. For instance.. at the end of my photo period mainly my stem plants will release micro bubbles, some more than others. If I were to shut the filters off it would be very much noticeable.. say 50-100 bubbles at any given moment..

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Ok. So you would not only see it during a WC? Will have to pay attention at the end if my photoperiod to see if I see anything.

I am by no stretch of the imagination a high tech setup. Just a newbie, with a black thumb, who really loves her plants. LOL.


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[Sk3lly]

Doesn't have to be after a water change. Just this is the most common time. I get pearling every day. Some plants more than others


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[Ryan87500]

I think it depends on how much water agitation you have on a consistent basis. I only see it after a water change and see it like crazy for a few hours then dies down. So I assume I am only over saturated right after a water change and the rest of the time I have "room" for more O2 and therefore don't see it.

Just my theory based on everything I have read.


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[Sk3lly]

I think it depends on how much water agitation you have on a consistent basis. I only see it after a water change and see it like crazy for a few hours then dies down. So I assume I am only over saturated right after a water change and the rest of the time I have "room" for more O2 and therefore don't see it.

Just my theory based on everything I have read.


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Correct


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[Ryan87500]

Based on that wouldn't you want to find the balance where you have enough agitation so you don't suffocate the fish while also trying to minimize pearling unless you like the look of bubbles. It doesn't seem like the lack of pearling means slower in this scenario.

The more agitation means the more co2 you need to inject.

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[Sk3lly]

Based on that wouldn't you want to find the balance where you have enough agitation so you don't suffocate the fish while also trying to minimize pearling unless you like the look of bubbles. It doesn't seem like the lack of pearling means slower in this scenario.

The more agitation means the more co2 you need to inject.

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In my tank during co2 on there is next to no surface agitation. Fish survive just fine on the O2 levels in my water. Still get pearling even without the agitation


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[Ryan87500]

Hmm wonder why I get basically no pearling but if I do a 25% change it looks like I added 7up instead of water back in.


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[Fresh2o]

Hmm wonder why I get basically no pearling but if I do a 25% change it looks like I added 7up instead of water back in.


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It sounds like there is a lot of dissolved gases your tap water. If possible, during the next PWC if you would pour the new water from the tap into a bucket and let it sit out for a day or so. This would allow it to gas off. Then add it to the tank and see if you get the same effect.


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[Sk3lly]

I think amount of pearling is linked to light intensity also. When my lights are on 75% I get a lot less pearling than on 100%. Which makes sense as more light = more energy = faster photosynthesis/growth.

At the end of the day every tank is very different and it's a non comparable thing


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