API KH test kit - Anyone with experience? Measuring CO2 Amounts - Page 5 - Equipment

bsmith · 01-14-2012, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AheartlessFish

hmmm...my plants dont really pearl like i see riccia pearl. I use to own riccia and when they pearl its pretty obvious. beautiful fields of bubbles. The only pearling that i ever realize (noticable) is when i do my 50% water changes...usually after i do it, it seems as if a buncha bubbles are comming out of the gravel (or maybe plants)...but never do i see the actual plant pearl as if riccia pearls...

But thanks for the inputs...protein build up sounds like a good answer haha.

Thanks everyone for all of their inputs ive learned alot this week.

Keep reading, it only gets more interesting!

DeChaoOrdo · 01-14-2012, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AheartlessFish

hmmm...my plants dont really pearl like i see riccia pearl. I use to own riccia and when they pearl its pretty obvious. beautiful fields of bubbles. The only pearling that i ever realize (noticable) is when i do my 50% water changes...usually after i do it, it seems as if a buncha bubbles are comming out of the gravel (or maybe plants)...but never do i see the actual plant pearl as if riccia pearls...

But thanks for the inputs...protein build up sounds like a good answer haha.

Thanks everyone for all of their inputs ive learned alot this week.

Don't worry too much about plants pearling or precise CO2 levels. Consistency is far more important than specific levels, and plants pearling isn't necessarily a positive thing(often damaged tissue leaking gas can be mistaken for pearling.) So long as you have consistent growth without problem algae CO2 is likely fine. The film in your drop checker could be a variety of different things but none I can think of are necessarily problematic outside of unsightliness. It could be an anaerobic bacteria taking advantage of a favorable environment, a fungus that is feeding on some excess mineral, or protein/lipids working their way out. With proper water changes all of these should work themselves out over time, and if it becomes too unsightly or blocks the gas exchange keeping the checker cleaned out periodically should fix the problem over time.

AheartlessFish · 01-14-2012, 07:15 AM

yea i noticed that when i prune my wisterias, the open stems would gas out after water changes.
thats what i figured all of the bubbling were since i prune them alot.

Right now i dont have any issues with the plants and im doing VERY well on algae control atm.

After a few weeks of trial and error im starting to understand how my tank eats up the nutrients and what not to dose and what i should dose more often.

As for the dropper checker ill just keep it clean whenever i see white scum

I just thought it was gross :P

Left C · 01-14-2012, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AheartlessFish

... As for the dropper checker ill just keep it clean whenever i see white scum

I just thought it was gross :P

The fish are blowing their noses on your drop checker!

HeyPK · 01-14-2012, 07:15 PM

Quote:

hmmm...my plants dont really pearl like i see riccia pearl. I use to own riccia and when they pearl its pretty obvious. beautiful fields of bubbles. The only pearling that i ever realize (noticable) is when i do my 50% water changes...usually after i do it, it seems as if a buncha bubbles are comming out of the gravel (or maybe plants)...but never do i see the actual plant pearl as if riccia pearls...

After water changes the pearling is more intensive if the water introduced comes directly from the tap. Are you introducing water directly from the tap?

AheartlessFish · 01-14-2012, 08:30 PM

yes getting water from the tap

LOL @ Left C's comment

HeyPK · 01-14-2012, 10:33 PM

Water directly from the tap has been under pressure and is supersaturated with gasses that have dissolved in the water when it was under pressure. When the pressure is relieved, the excess gasses come out of solution and bubbles form everywhere. The increased pearling seen then is not just due to photosynthesis producing oxygen. It is also due to the supersaturated gasses diffusing into the air channels in the leaves and stems of the plants and coming out of solution in these air channels.