|Topic Review (Newest First)|
|02-14-2007 06:38 AM|
Check this out.
|02-14-2007 02:06 AM|
The plants pearl until the lights go out. The next day, they do not pearl as much.
I cannot subscribe current to be a factor. IF it was, I could turn on my powerhead and get the result. No go.
I will experiment with the macronutrients and see.
|02-13-2007 07:43 AM|
It's because doing a water change will super-saturate the water with oxygen, at least for a while. Think of all the water movement and surface disturbance involved in a WC.
Personally, I like the looks of bubbles flowing through my tank.
|02-13-2007 07:40 AM|
I don't know why the plants pearl directly after a water change. Tom Barr
advocates a higher concentration of CO2 directly on the leaves via micro bubbles creates extreme pearling. Personally I think too many bubbles are unsightly.
|02-13-2007 04:08 AM|
|ianiwane||and are you using shop lights? Probably not enough light.|
|02-13-2007 03:31 AM|
When you say Fluorish, and you say "comprehensive" that might mean you are just dosing Flourish correct? Plants need macronutrients as well. Add NPK (potassium, phosphorous, nitrogen) and see where that gets you. Most folks do EI, but PPS might work for you.
At high light levels, fish waste isn't enough.
|02-13-2007 03:23 AM|
try riccia they pearl easy i guess i have 3,0 wpg and diy c02 and i jus got my riccia and its pearling when i came home
more light and c02?
|02-13-2007 02:38 AM|
the pearling after a water change is probably not from the plants.. The gas trapped in the new water pearls on anything in the tank.
algae pearl too. so watch out for that... my plants pearl when there high wattage in the lights.
|02-13-2007 02:36 AM|
|blueguppygirl||Pearling occurs when the water is fully saturated with oxygen. I suspect the water you're putting back into the aquarium has a lot more oxygen then what you're taking out.|
|02-13-2007 02:29 AM|
The Quest for Pearling
I am writing this in an attempt to help isolate the reasons plants pearl. If others can share their wisdom, then perhaps we can all benefit.
I have a 120 Gallon tank. I use 7 tubes, all 40 watt, about 8 inches from the surface at 10 hours per day. I Flourish. I C02 with a timer and solenoid.
I notice that the plants pearl unbelieveably when I do a major water change (about 20 to 25%). From this, and believe me, when I say the plants pearl after a water change, you could breathe the water. So I am out to find out why they pearl so much with the water change and not on a constant basis. I tried temperature: the water I inject is pure cold right from the outside tap.
I can add as much fertilizer I wish daily. The fish need to be fed, and I have conprehensive fertilizer, but even so, it is not like when there is a major water change.
I can add as much CO2 as I want. CO2 is not a factor. I tried that and some fish died.
Ph is about 7 with the water change.
I am down to the micronutrients. Is there a way to test for them in a simple fashion. I am aware of the periodic table, but I am sure most of the radioactive ones are not important. Why then, does my plants pearl like a crying river on a water change with pure cold water and not everyday?
I consider the pearling to be a tesitment to things done right. If I could do this every day, so much the better. But I cannot figure why the disparity is so striking. It cannot be so hard.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
I am aware that running an engine at max horsepower is bad for long periods, but if I had the formula to the gas pedal, at least I was in charge.