Post pics of your Pearling Plants!

[GlitcH]

What makes the plants pearl?

The "pearls" are oxygen bubbles produced by the plant during photosynthesis.

When the water column becomes saturated with oxygen the bubbles form on the plants.

 

[PrettyFishies]

And how do you get to that point? If your plants don't pearl, does that mean they are not healthy?

 

[GlitcH]

No, not at all......your plants are producing oxygen all the time your lights are on.....you just can't see it until they saturate the water column. If you have enough wattage over your tank (C02 injection also helps alot).....the plants produce oxygen quicker and saturate the water.......which leads to pearling.

 

[Purrbox]

The amount of plants in the tank also makes a difference in whether or not you'll see pearling. Two tanks set up identically except for the quantity of plants, will achieve pearling at different times. The more densely planted tank has more plants producing O2 and as a result will reach saturation much sooner.

 

[PrettyFishies]

I have 65W of power compact light over 20 gallons - I believe its 6700K

and I have +/- 30ppm (KH 5, PH 6.7 w/ a controller)

 

[dapellegrini]

Sounds like you have the basics. If you have the plant mass, and nutrients right, you will see pearling. Here is a rough attempt at the order of limiters in plant growth:

- Light [check]
- CO2 [check]
- Nitrogen
- Potassium
- Phosphorus
- Calcium/Magnesium
- Traces (Iron, etc)

If you are dosing EI you should be good. Give the tank about 3 weeks with consistent Light, CO2 and ferts and you should see it start to pearl.

 

[sherry]

l aromatica propogates like mad. top it adn teh bottom branches.. stick teh bottom and it branches from the bottom.

just bury it deep, or stick a plant weight around (thin and loose) to give you a head start.


It was such a weed in my tank I've given most of it a way. .kept a scrap for the sake of minor indecision

 

[dapellegrini]

I thought I had eradicated all of my Rotala Rotundfolia months ago, then the other day this thing pops up out of the middle of my HM...

And a few pieces of a newer plant I have been trying out, which I was told is Hottonia:

 

[sherry]

hottonia disappeared in my tank.. I don't know if it was eaten or just faded away. love the plant.. What is that red next to your reappearing rotala? gorgeous color.

 

[Jchillin]

Dan, are you insured? My jaw just dropped to the floor.

 

[dapellegrini]

LOL, nope not insured. The red stuff is Alternanthera reineckii, and the Hottonia does seem to be a bit testy. Doesn't grow as perfectly as most of my other plants, but I am starting to get some good results after a lot of patience

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Here's my java fern......

 

[JustOneMore20]

Baby Tears

Bacopa

lone stem of Pogostemon stellatus

(excuse the algae)

 

[Peyton]

Ok, I can't compete with you guys so I'm going to cheat a little here. This pic was taken after a water change, does that still count?

and a little movie

http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b207/peglegburnout/?action=view&current=pearling.flv

 

[Angry the Clown]

Here is one from my tank:

 

[dapellegrini]

What kind of flower is that?

 

[rkilling1]

What kind of flower is that?

Looks like a Sagittaria subulata flower to me.

 

[Angry the Clown]

Looks like a Sagittaria subulata flower to me.

rkilling1 is correct! My dwarf sags have been in major reproductive mode recently.

 

[dapellegrini]

This was a fun thread. More Pictures!

I just snapped this tonight and can't decide which crop I like best...

Do you see the Farlowella in there? ;D The little guy is a Schooling Bumblebee Goby... and you can make out the shadow of a shrimp in the lower left of a couple of these shots.

 

[Glenc]

What beautiful shots, breathtaking. Ill have to borrow one for my background for while