Does all the successful/growing plant pearling? releasing oxygen?

[alvchong]

i am using DIY CO2 injection.
my plant grow.... but somehow i never get pearling effect.

what is ur experience?
how to make the plant pearling?

[hwchoy]

pearling is an effect in which the tank water is already saturated with O2 and any O2 produced by the plants cannot dissolve into the water and hence appear as O2 bubbles. The plants will always produce O2 as long as they are photosynthesising (presence of light and adequate mix of nutrients, including CO2) but usually it will not pearl if the amount of O2 produced is not enough to supersaturate the O2-dissolving capacity of the water.

[|squee|]

To add on, it's not a sure indicator of a successful planted tank. It just means the oxygen level in the water is saturated.

[uklau]

I think too much of pearling throughout the lighting period is like putting you on a day long of marathon

[Sunfire]

I'm so used to my plants bubbling that when they don't I think there is something wrong.
Maybe we should keep bright lights for plants on for max 10 hrs only...

[aquarius]

Having pearling doesn't mean that the tank is doing well. I used to have LOTS of pearling and still have alot of BBAs in the tank and the BBAs even pearl.

[hwchoy]

as far as Nature is concerned algae and BBA is part of the eco system, they're only a problem to our sense of beauty

[alvchong]

so..how? pearling a must or not?
my lighting is 2 x 20w ~ flora glo and power glo for 25gallon tank
is it not enough to make it pearl? i am a planted tank beginner for 2.5 months. i hv invested from test kits to those liquid plant food and fertiliser... read most forum. but still, i can't get it pearl like what u guys been showing off in the pictures.... all i want is to see pearl la fren...
pls help....

any guru to advise me on the following?

Q: do u need to achieve 20ppm CO2 injection to pearl or it will pearl as long as u hv injection....?
Q: my tap water is PH8 +... my kh is around 5 and PH after injection is around 7.4. is it not enough?
Q: for testing of KH, i use hagen KH tester, i need around 9 drop of the reagent = 90 mg/l, when i convert according to some forumer by dividing 17.8 to get around 5dkh. aftet that, i bot the Azoo KH test kit, i also need a 9 drop to turn the colour but the instruction said: 9 drop = 9 dkh? what happened?

[hwchoy]

want to see pearling? plant some riccia, they produce O2 so fast that you're almost guaranteed to see some pearling.

more seriously, you need to know what plants you have. some plants produce O2 slowly and you will almost never see them pearl.

[alvchong]

i can upload my tank for ur comment. let me get my picture upload...later...hope u guys still awake...haha

[valice]

For most plants, pearling only occur when there is a break in the leaf structure... Else, it doesn't pearl like hwchoy mentioned...

[alvchong]

pls comment...

[|squee|]

You can try 30ppm CO2 for a start. For pearling you need O2, for O2 you need CO2 so that plants produce O2.

Test kits cannot be trusted unless they're scientific grade. I get varying results with my test kits too.

BTW, welcome to AQ!

[hwchoy]

I think I see some riccia.

[alvchong]

ya...me never see pearling....

my lighting is from 8pm to 8am
8am to 8pm is inroom, not much sunlight...

[hwchoy]

I might comment that 40W isn't much for 25gallons. 2×36W would be much more satisfying especially if you inject CO2 aggressively and have adequate base or liquid fert.

[PeterGwee]

Target a pH of 6.9 for your KH of 9. You should see pearling towards at least the end of the day. Your amount of light seems enough. Nutrients need to be in good range in order for plant growth to be sustained or else the O2 production would drop off and soon stop totally.

Regards
Peter Gwee