Pearling

[Bill]

I have been running my tank using the Barr method and I only see pearling every once in a while.

I am running my CO2 anywhere from 25 to 35 and I have 220w of cf over a 120g tank.

But - I have been running my CO2 24/7 (I have a solenoid valve on order).

Could this be causing the dissolved oxygen in my tank to be low?

Also does low dissolved oxygen content prevent or slow down the pearling in the aquarium?

Thanks,
Bill VanHorn

 

[PeterGwee]

Re: Pearling

Bill, if the tank is running well, you should see high pearling rates when the O2 is above 100% which is pretty common in planted tanks. The fact that you are getting occasional pearling once in a while tells me that your CO2 is not in the good range for most of the photoperiod. Doing the CO2 24/7 does not allow you add more during the day without causing potential harm to critters in the night due to buildup when plants are not using it. It is good to hear that you are getting a solenoid valve to shut the CO2 off during the night but a small powerhead connected to a light timer would also do the same job but will waste gas during the night. When you get the solenoid, try cranking the CO2 bubble rate up slowly a bit at a time and wait for a day or two while keeping the nutrients in non-limiting amounts via the EI method. Eyeball the critters such that they are not stressed by the high CO2. Keep doing that till you get nice pearling and you are pretty much set except for occasional checks on the KH reading of the tap (not sure if your tap's KH change often or not.) or whenever you see little to no pearling.

Regards
Peter Gwee

 

[Bill]

Re: Pearling

>>>Bill, if the tank is running well, you should see high pearling rates when the O2 is above 100% which is pretty common in planted tanks

 

[m lemay]

Re: Pearling

The high saturation of O2 comes from the plants rapid photsynthesizing which is a by product of adequate light, CO2 and fertilization. This is what creates the high o2 saturation levels. Simply raising O2 saturation by some other means will do nothing for plant growth.

Good solid plant growth is the goal. O2 production is a symptom of good growth but not the cause to good growth. I hope I made that clear.

Marcel
.

 

[Bill]

Re: Pearling

>>>Good solid plant growth is the goal. O2 production is a symptom of good growth but not the cause to good growth. I hope I made that clear.

 

[m lemay]

Re: Pearling

The short answer is yes. But, with good light, CO2 enrichment, and ferts, O2 saturation can occur as quickly as 2-3 hours after the lights turn on. Light is the catalyst that gets things moving. The more light you have(up to a limit) the more CO2 and fert usage increases because of increased plant demands.

Tom talks about a hierarchy, It starts with, light=>CO2=>NPK(nitrate,phosphate,potassium)=>micro nutrients.

Marcel

 

[sawallace]

Re: Pearling

O2 saturation can occur as quickly as 2-3 hours after the lights turn on

If I am getting high pearling in the last few hours of the photoperiod only, does this mean my CO2 levels are inadequate for the majority of the photoperiod? Is pearling really a good indicator of quality conditions?

*Note, I do not have plants normally associated with high pearling, such as riccia, etc. I have swords and hairgrass.

Thanks!

 

[Ian H]

Re: Pearling

IMHO in some cases excessive pearling can be a negative indication. A possible sign of plant cell damage. Note how the plants pearl more when you have pruned them, from the cut ends.

At the end of the day if your plants are growing strongly don't worry........enjoy.

Ian

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: Pearling

I've never seen anything that suggest pearling is negative in our tanks or otherwise due to plants in a tank, I suppose if you cut a stem and it bubbles, but mechanical damage is different than pearling.

Regards,
Tom Barr