Question on pearling

[shrimppaste]

Hi I just started a planted tank and is already doing the full photo period of 8 hours, full EI regimen. I am getting a good CO2 ppm reading etc but my plants are not giving out bubbles. Is this because they are new and may not have taken root yet? I mean it's been only 3 days now.

[christopher.wtc]

Patients bro
I guess you are doing everything right. Plants take awhile to accustom. Don't be dispair if they don't pearl after awhile and do not think that only plants that pearl are healthy. It takes alot of different condition to make them pearl, amount of O2 in tank, lighting power, health of plants, right kH/gH/pH and many more. You will find out later. If I remember correctly, you did say your lighthing power is 3 wpg. I do not know if its enough for your plants to pearl vigorously, again you will find that out later too. If you do wanna check if your plants are producing oxygen, get a o2 test kit and measure your water before lights on and after lights off.

[shrimppaste]

HAhaha. I really can't wait!!! I can't wait to put fish also hahaha. But I will wait lah. So how long should I wait before putting livestocks? Thanks again for being so helpful.

[christopher.wtc]

HAhaha. I really can't wait!!! I can't wait to put fish also hahaha. But I will wait lah. So how long should I wait before putting livestocks? Thanks again for being so helpful.

Untill your bacterial coloney is ready. Read up on nitrogen cycle, here it is, herhttp://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm

[shrimppaste]

Hi Christopher,

I have been reading also in fact and what I always see is this point. Bacteria only starts forming once you introduce fish. Even if you were to put good bacteria they will die off if there are no fishes. So It's kinda confusing. We cannot put fish cause the bacteria not there yet and yet we have to put fish for bacteria to start.

[Droicut]

Chanced upon this when reading some magazines...

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_silent_cycling.php

Talks about cycling with your fishes and plants... Hope it helps

[Morgan01]

the above comments are true. you have a relatively new tank and you need time and patience for it to settle and mature. BB needs to colonise and parameters need to settle. with that your plants will start to grow and with the introduction of light, CO2, fertlisation and CLEAN water (introduction of fauna at early stages before water matures is a NO NO), your plants will start to pearl.

[wong1979]

Hi I just started a planted tank and is already doing the full photo period of 8 hours, full EI regimen. I am getting a good CO2 ppm reading etc but my plants are not giving out bubbles. Is this because they are new and may not have taken root yet? I mean it's been only 3 days now.

What type of plants are you keeping? And is the lighting strong enough?

[Wabi-Sabi]

It is not that hard to get your tank to pearl like champagne. Get a MH or high intensity T5 HO sets and crank up your Co2. Even moss will pearl but remember to add in enough trace and NPK.

[shrimppaste]

Yah I have all the requirements I have T5 chiller 30ppm CO2. KNO3, KHPSO4. Trace etc.

[madnugget]

bro, u can try turning off your filter and see is there any pearling..

[shrimppaste]

AH!

YOu saying the pearls are being blown away by the current? Now that makes sense haha.

[Wabi-Sabi]

No. You don't have to turn off filter to see pearling..

[madnugget]

AH!

YOu saying the pearls are being blown away by the current? Now that makes sense haha.

nope thats not the point. i asked AQ unclerobin and he mentioned it was water circulation/agitation in the tank.. i too didnt see any pearling in my tank until he told me to direct my rain bar against the tank wall. I'm using 2x36W on a 1.5 ft tank and the current in my tank is like a washing machine (2211) no pearling can be seen.. after directing against the wall, my plants shows streams of o2 bubbles everywhere..

[Shadow]

It depend on how fast your plant generating O2 and how fast it is absorb by the water. Basically you will see bubble if the rate of O2 generated is more than the rate of O2 absorb by water. Water flow do increase the rate of O2 absorption by water.

[Wabi-Sabi]

By the way, Shrimpaste, what type of plants and specification of T5 light you have?

[shrimppaste]

My T5 I think is 39 watt bought from NA. And I have of them meaning 156 for a 45 gallon tank. Meaning I get about 3.5 watt / gallon. And my CO2 is ample. I woke up this morning to look at my drop checker and it is yellowish green even after a whole night without CO2.