# Plants growing quick but not pearling?



## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I have 4 tanks that have a ton of plants in them. All of my plants are growing like mad, throwing out runners and filling in the tanks, some of my ludwigia is starting to turn red and my Alternantheras are red/pink.

Specs of the fastest growing tank(the others are similar)

Size: 5.5 gallon tank.
Occupants: One Male Betta
Lighting: 50/50 10,000 K daylight/actinic CFL bulbs mounted in standard tank hood. No special reflectors. Walls are not painted/do not have bakgrounds so light does escape.
Temperature: 80F
Substrate: FloraMax +Gravel
Plants: Swords, Ludwigia arcuata, Water Wisteria, Alternanthera lilacina or reineckii, crypt possibly Didiplis diandra, bacopa ammania gracilis and rotala
Fertilizer: API Leaf Zone until it runs out.
CO2: Was running API CO2 Booster until it ran out about a week and a half ago. Didn't notice any pearling before either.

Should I be worried? I know pearling is a good thing but if my plants are growing quick should I just leave it be?


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Well the lighting isnt great. The only time my plants (every single plant) pearled was when i had 4.5 wp, some ferts, excel, and diy co2. I no longer have 4.5 wpg so no pearling. It is more about the lighting.
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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It's actually about the CO2, the more CO2 and nutrients, the more the plants with saturate the tank with oxygen. The lighting of course will help but that lighting is just fine for your plants. 

But you don't need your plants to pearl for them to be happy.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Well co2 and lighting obviously. Light is just much more important for easy plants to pearl IME. But yes gas co2 is VERY important. Have you ever had plants pearl lil? Its pretty cool.
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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

It's not all about the light, do a small google search and you'll know that. And yes, I've had my Ludwigia pearl before.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Im just saying with my experience. My glosso carpet would pearl same with my lace plant. It is awesome. I also said IME.

I dont base all my knowledge on other peoples thoughts and ideas. I base it off of what i can actually see.

Also i have the same co2 going in. Just less lighting, and they dont pearl... So IN MY EXPERIENCE(IME) it is more about lighting.
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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

Leave it be, if it ain't broke why fix it. Photosynthesis (pearling most people call it) happens with pressurized CO2 and a lot of light. To be honest, I never heard anyone achieve photosynthesis with liquid carbon. My plants pearl nicely with pressurized CO2 and CFL bulb lighting. 

I really can't wait to try the buildmyled light fixture I have, that thing is stupid bright. Tankman, can you imagine the pearling I'm gonna have. Tons of CO2 and super bright lighting and it's only a 7.2g tank. I'm definitely not gonna have a problem with par lol.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

I believe you 100%. How much wpg do you have tony? 

Ya i never had successful pearling with just excel. The yeast co2 did it all. I bet the excel helps a little, though.
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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

I don't really do the wpg anymore. I mainly go by the par rating. Tom Barr, I believe he said a good par rating is between 30 or 50 is med lighting. Any thing under 30 is low and anything over 50 is high. I'm no expert and correct me if I'm wrong. I have dutch planted XB series with a 90 degree angle beam and tank depth of 12 inches. So I'm looking at 145 par from the fixture sitting on top of the tank. I'm hanging the lights higher to reduce par, so I'm looking at 60 par if hung 9 inches. I went by this chart and again correct me if I'm reading it wrong.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Ya par also a very good thing. I find it more important in reefs.
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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

I definitely don't know jack about corals. But I believe reefs need at least 200 plus par rating. I wanna do tons of research on corals. I guess I'll do that tonight since I'm off of work.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Ya it isnt really a huge deal with really anything. I have a bunch of stonys (acros, birdsnests, ect) and never really cared about par. Cuz i never really had to. If you find some stuff out, please PM me. I would love to learn something about it.

From what i know it is the pureness of the light. So less lids and stuff the light does threw the better.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

My phone died right as I was answering the first couple posts. I was saying since its nothing super vital and the plants aren't dying, I'm not gonna bother worrying with it. What I've got is working, so I have no need to change my methods. I was more just concerned in case it was something I was doing wrong, which I kinda am if I wished to achieve those particular results, and if it would harm the plants long term. Since it doesn't seem to be anything harmful to the plants, I'm just going to truck along as normal.


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## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

You know your getting old when you have reading nights instead of party nights on a Saturday night lol, but any way I'll PM you if I find anything.


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## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Tony2632 said:


> You know your getting old when you have reading nights instead of party nights on a Saturday night lol, but any way I'll PM you if I find anything.


Cool ;-)
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

The dirt based tank I have sitting in my west window--I've actually had the plants pearl in that with no added CO2. There were little air bubbles trapped in/stuck to the top of the leaves and I can't think of another reason why they'd be there unless it was maybe the substrate releasing gases, but the substrate was regularly poked and not a very thick layer anyway.

So maybe tankman's on to something about the light, and sunlight caused mine to pearl? Or maybe it was just my substrate sending up some kind of gas (no, it never smelled bad, don't worry).

Dirt based tanks can be awfully strange, though. Decaying organics in the topsoil should in theory release carbon, AFAIK, so maybe that was why it did that.


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