# Pearling In El Natural Tank?



## OrangeCones (Aug 15, 2009)

Ok, I'll admit that I haven't read ALL posts here yet, but I took what I could from here and started my first El Natural tank on November 1st. 

I moved the 21 residents of the 29 gallon tank to a 15 gallon hospital tank while I messed with their 'home' and got things settled. I used a ring (rectangle?) of gravel purchased at the garden center around the bottom of the tank as several have recommended, about an inch deep, then put the MiracleGro Organic Choice Potting Soil at the same depth in the center. I then started filling the tank with aged water, using an airline tubing to just let it trickle in while I planted the plants. I had a little dirt get kicked up as I worked, but was able to quickly cap the dirt with the gravel as I finished planting. I put in a lot of stems but they were cut short (topped from other tanks) so that the would hopefully grow quickly. 

Things were filling in nicely. I 'fed' the fish-less tank with flake food to add some ammonia. I waited 2 weeks, testing water quality daily at first, then every other day, and after seeing no spikes in ammonia or nitrite, I added 5 of the fish back (was time to 'wean' the 16 half-grown babies from dad anyway). I'm a little light in stocking, I know, but I'll move things around and add more fish as I see how the tank progresses. 

Today, I noticed the four otos that live there were friskier than normal, so spent more time observing. They are such clowns. I watched as one was being chased by the three others, around and around the long onion leaves. They were spawning! No idea if things will happen with the eggs or not, but I'm letting nature take its course to see what will happen. 

While looking for evidence of more eggs, I noticed that 3 of the species of plants are actually pearling. I'm not adding any carbon dioxide, no fertilizers, no additives. 

Is pearling normal in such a tank? I thought you'd need to be injecting CO2 or at least a DIY yeast reactor to get pearling. I haven't seen too much in the way of algae, other than some diatoms at first but the Otos took care of that quickly. I hope its not an algae film ON the plants that is pearling!


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## Noto (Oct 26, 2009)

I have seen pearling in some of my tanks. However, some plants, such as vals, can "bleed" gas bubbles when damaged. Is there a steady stream of bubbles emerging from a single spot?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Light pearling is definitely possible if your tank is getting high levels of sunlight. I've never seen pearling without decent levels of light, though. Have you done a water change or top off recently? Dissolved oxygen often gets pushed up to abnormally high levels after either one, and bubbles form on their own regardless of plants.

Bleeding off from damage is also possible; many plants respond this way.

-Philosophos


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

The only pearling I ever notice in my npt's (not counting water change or top off) is individual bubbles on only a few leaves at any given time.


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## OrangeCones (Aug 15, 2009)

Noto said:


> I have seen pearling in some of my tanks. However, some plants, such as vals, can "bleed" gas bubbles when damaged. Is there a steady stream of bubbles emerging from a single spot?


No, no steady stream of bubbles, like what you see after trimming. No water changes have been done and I last topped off a week ago. They look happy, so I'm happy!


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

how do u like the organic soil?


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## OrangeCones (Aug 15, 2009)

So far, its doing great for the plants. I've not had any algae to speak of, which is what I feared. The plants seem to like it just fine. Mostly I have crypts and African water fern, wisteria and several stem plants. They aren't getting the red color I get in other tanks and don't grow as fast, but that's fine by me. Less time trimming!


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

I dont scrape the algae off the back and two sides of my 10 gal NPT, sometimes I see Pearling there... about 10 - 15 little bubbles...Kinda cute.


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## OrangeCones (Aug 15, 2009)

I haven't seen any algae at all yet, but the tank does have 4 otos, so that may have something to do with it. ound:


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## bettalover2 (Nov 21, 2009)

I'm new to all this and am working towards a truely NPT. I set up a Baby Orb as my first tank when rescuing a Betta, only to discover that I really like fish keeping and growing plants.

I have been struggling a little with growing plants. Using Diana's book and information I've been adding calcium, potassium and magnesium (pg 87) and putting in some extra fish food flakes....AND.......I believe it's working. Yesterday I thought I saw pearling on my java moss. Today, I not only see that but my moss balls are also pearling. I'm so excited.....I think it's working.


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## jcmdea (Sep 8, 2009)

i`ve seen small pearls formed inthe leaves of ludwigia in my tank, never seen them leave the plant tho>


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## jas1w124 (Dec 18, 2009)

Pearling happens when oxygen saturation reaches 100%, Plants find carbon from other sources if you aren't injecting co2, they can pull it out of the water. If the plants aren't dieing they are growing, if they are growing, they are releasing oxygen, if you don't have many fish using up the oxygen, 100% saturation can be reached quickly and the rest of the oxygen produced becomes visible and bubbles up to the surface.


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