# Pearling plants



## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Do you believe in plant pearling being the proof of good conditions? Please share your experience. 

Thank you
Edward


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

IMHO, pearling is proof of supersaturation with O2, period. This is obviouly not a bad thing, but to vote "yes" on the poll implies that lack of obvious pearling is negative, which it is not. Depending on the management of the particular setup, there is no reason why the plants cannot be generating large quantities of sugars and O2 without the O2 in the water column being supersaturated.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

I agree with RTR.

Assuming pearling happens at the 100% O2 saturation mark (doesn't it?), you will not get pearling at 95% O2 saturation but the plants are still pumping *alot* of O2...

So a tank at 101% O2 saturation will pearl but that doesn't mean its doing fabulously better than the one at 95%.


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## Mnemia (Nov 23, 2004)

O2 saturation is what you are observing when you see pearling, yes.

But this is still *evidence* that your plants are growing well because they require proper nutrients to carry out photosynthesis and hence to produce oxygen. Of course, you need to factor in other variables that could be causing the saturation such as the addition of gas-laden water from the tap or an increase in temperature (liquid dissolves less gas at higher temperatures). Pearling at higher temperatures might be a lesser indicator of photosynthesis than pearling at lower temperatures, for example.

I would say that pearling is an indication of good plant growth but that the reverse is not true: lack of pearling is not necessarily evidence of poor plant growth.


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I don't believe pearling is that important. 

But if we don't talk about pearling immediately after a water change it does show that the plants are metabolizing at an elevated speed. That is not necessarily a good thing though and it seems that we all agree on that.

Besides the problems with growth being too fast and requiring pruning and some plants growing a bit too pale there's the fact that plants in tanks that don't pearl but are healthy can actually grow at almost the same speed but appear better - greener and healthier.

--Nikolay


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Hi
There were situations where some plants pearled intensively before dying. To the contrary, some plants grew fast and healthy with no pearling at all. 

I think the pearling rate is misleading us about plant health, nutrient make up, water quality, lighting and other environmental characteristics. 

Edward


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## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

I voted NO.....

I have seen thread algae pearl like the best of them..... Thread algae dosnt = good conditions in my book.

jB


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I think that pearling is a indication of good conditions, however if you have little pearling that is not a indication of bad conditions. I see this in my own tanks. I have one tank that pearls like crazy and another tank that may a few bubbles on several leaves. However both tanks are close to equal in growth, coloration and the health of the plants.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

I consider pearling to be an indicator of the stemplants' general condition. I've only got one tank that will pearl and after the plants have had enough time to absorb nutrients after addition they start pearling more than they did before supplimentation. If they're not pearling a lot it tells me that they're lacking something and that I need to suppliment again. Pearling's not an indicator of good tank conditions (there's algae all over this tank) but it does tell me how hungry my plants are.

Pearling can be an indicator of less than favorable conditions for your plants. At temps in the high 70sF/20sC oxygen binds to plants' CO2 "catching" enzyme RuBISCO in increasing favor over CO2. Increased O2 levels in the tank, characterized by pearling, can have negative effects on our plants' metabolism and ability to bind CO2. That's why we have to crank the levels to 30ppm+ in high light/high O2 tanks. We have to break over the O2 barrier and put enough CO2 into the water to make it likely that CO2 to bind to RuBP vs. O2.

Regards,
Phil


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## Jerm (Nov 11, 2005)

Jason Baliban said:


> I voted NO.....
> 
> I have seen thread algae pearl like the best of them..... Thread algae dosnt = good conditions in my book.
> 
> jB


haha that was funny


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