pearling!

Another little thrill in the aquarium. Last friday, I added Mg to both tanks. Came back into the room about half an hour later, and for a moment I was horrified, thought my subwassertang had some disease because I saw yellow spots all over it.

The plants were pearling. I saw yellow dots because the bubbles showed through semi-translucent leaves.

I don't think it was just from the water getting supercharged with oxygen during water change ('false pearling') because I haven't seen this occur in my tank since last July, and that time it was right after I added Mg too.

and it didn't go away immediately. It lasted all day and I still saw some pearling on java fern

and windelov leaves the next two days. It's like the plants are wearing little jewels.

So I think it had to do with the addition of Mg? is it possible that had an immediate positive affect? However I also see that my anubias, which have always had tips hooking down a bit, now that symptom looks severe. I think I do need to add Ca.

Which is starting to feel a little frustrating. I have pretty hard water- I shouldn't have to add more Ca and Mg- but I think what's happening is the substrate is stripping it out of the water. So maybe that was a poor choice to use safe-t-sorb. Come to the point where I think I don't want to be adding fertilizers to the water every week, even though it is a minimal amount I do compared to some people. I'd rather have the substrate feeding the plants and fish waste adding what little that lacks- a Walstad type setup or a dirted tank... and since from what little I've read those type of aquariums go further between water changes, maybe I could do bi-weekly maintenance- which would make it easier to have a larger aquarium or two- because I am still dreaming of angelfish someday but realizing even this aquarium is too small for them to be happy- seeing how my bettas have been so much more comfortable in a tenner than a 1 gal bowl or 3 gal tank...

Always planning more for the future.