Bubbling as indicator of condition of tank

[pink]

I would like to seek the opinion of the people here regarding the bubbling of plants in a planted tank.

Many people, when they first start out in keeping planted tanks, consider getting bubbling/pearling as "nirvana" in planted tank keeping. My question is how much can one read into the health and condition of a tank based on the extent of the plants bubbling?

Can one say that one's tank conditions are good/healthy if one's plants are bubbling in a big way?
Will bubbling still occur even though there might be deficiencies in some areas, as long as CO2 levels and light intensity are high enough (plus O2 saturation, of course)?

Any comments/thoughts would be most appreciated.

Hope this post passes the AAAAIEEE test...

[danny]

As long as there is enough light and Co2, bubbling can occur very easily. I can even see O2 bubbles under my lotus leaf. But after sometime, I find it very artificial. I still suffer from algea problem in the tank that bubbles

[naturetan]

Bubbling could be one of the parameters to judge for certain extreme cases of nutrient deficiency, but it should never be used conclusively for plants health.

[geoffrey]

I would suggest that we look at the plants themselves as an indicator for health. I would think bubbling is only an indicator of the rate at which the plants metabolise. In a tank that lacks NO3 for instance, the plants will still bubble but with the N transported from the older leaves making the latter pale. Hence, it is my opinion that pearling should not be used.

[lorba]

bubblings occurs vigorously at some torn or broken tip of stems, or rotting holes on the leaves too. I think health of plants should be judged by how strong the stems are getting, the rate of new growth compared to its usual growing rate, color of leaves and such. Having BBA in a tank probably indicates present of many unhealthy plants.