[APD] To pearl or not to pearl...

[Robert Zink <bonsai at hrcreditunion_net>]

Hi,

My favorite tank is a heavily planted 20G, with medium bio load, about 3
WPG, NON-CO2. I fertilize 3x weekly with various commercial formulas at
their low-end recommended doses. I do a weekly 50% water change with hard
(carbonate) well water. Crystal clear water, no algae whatsoever. Even
without CO2, the plants grow quickly. They pearl heavily all day long
following the water change, the other six days, no pearling at all.

I also have a tank that is not planted, with a high bio load. It also gets a
weekly 50% water change. This water has a green tint. Not a cloudy green
like an algae bloom, but like clear green tea.

I got thinking, this "green water" must be rich in natural plant nutrients.
So what I did, when I refilled the aforementioned 20G planted tank, I used 5
gallons fresh water and 5 gallons of this "green water."

As you might expect, the plants pearled far less after the water change than
they normally would.

Questions:
 - Does the pearling really indicate an accelerated rate of growth?
 - Is fertilizer more beneficial than the water changes?
 - Am I nuts to try such a wacky experiment?
-- 
Thanks in Advance,
Bob Zink

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