Lighting

[Pennsylaniaeric]

Hello

I have a 120 gal tank, 24x24x48. It is a newer planted tank with 2-48” aquarium co-op lights. Do I have enough lighting or do I need a third light fixture? I do not see any oxygen bubbles being created from the plants  in the tank. I am not using co2 currently but will in the near future. 
Thanks,

Eric

[knee]

On 2/24/2023 at 10:35 AM, Pennsylaniaeric said:

Hello

I have a 120 gal tank, 24x24x48. It is a newer planted tank with 2-48” aquarium co-op lights. Do I have enough lighting or do I need a third light fixture? I do not see any oxygen bubbles being created from the plants  in the tank. I am not using co2 currently but will in the near future. 
Thanks,

Eric

Pearling happens when the amount of oxygen being released by the plants is more than what your tank can handle. This usually occurs in high tech tanks due to strong lighting and co2 but it can still happen in tanks without co2, just not very often.

 

[mynameisnobody]

@Pennsylaniaeric Do not gauge the progress of your plants on the amount of pearling you experience. I would say 2 coop lights are more than adequate. Depending, on the plants you are keeping, I’d say you were probably good with just 1 light. What kind of plants do you plan on keeping? Without this info, no one can tell you the adequacy of any lighting. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

My tanks with c02 do not pearl as my intention is to just have a little more c02 to help combat algae and not have the plants run out, and those tanks don’t run crazy lights. 
 

My only tank that regularly pearls is my 6 gallon cube with a dirted substrate, Fluval Plant 3.0 LED Nano, and a heater. No filter in that tank. Pearl Weed goes crazy and pearls everyday. 
 

As mentioned above pearling simply means that oxygen is at max saturation so instead of dissolving into the water it cannot so we can see it. All my plants are super healthy in my tanks that don’t pearl.