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-------- Forwarded Message -----------------
From: rbil at island_net
Subject: Back to Wonder Water
To: Aquatic-Plants at ActWin_com
I've followed others' suggestions regarding the bubbling I'm seeing
with a water change. I've done a 10% water change with water the
same temperature as in the tank. Immediately I'd see bubbles coming
up from specific leaves. Actually "pearling up". I've watched the
bubbling action from a couple of leaves until I felt I could
recognize the rate. I turned off the lights for 5 minutes. When I
turned the lights back on, the bubbling had stopped from the spots
I was observing. Over the course of a couple of minutes with the
lights on, the bubbling would start and speed up again to the rate
it was at the start. This is repeatable.
OK, so this bubbling must be photosynthesis, not merely a
collection of gas from the water change. Mind you I've known this
all along. ;-) I've watched the photosynthesis process very
carefully in my tank. I slowly added more lights to the tank. Each
time I upped the lumens, the inital response was for the plants to
bubble like crazy. Then they'd appear to get acclimatized to the
new lighting conditions and the bubbling would not be so dramatic.
I've seen this going from 46 watts to 59 and again with my last
addition at 72. Now I haven't got room for any more lights. To get
this phenomena to repeat itself, I simply need to add some wonder
water.;-) It's now 5:30 pm. This bubbling will continue at this
rate now until the lights go off. Tomorrow morning when they come
on again, there will again be bubbles but at a slower rate. If I do
a water change of 10% every 3 days, I can keep photosynthesis going
so that there are visible bubbles coming up from leaves throughout
the tank. The real pearling effect is only seen from wounds on the
leaves and usually from just one leaf on a particular plant.
Cheers, Rene