Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just did a tank cleaning and I'm seeing tiny air bubbles coming from my plant, rising to the surface. Anyone know what's going on here, is this normal behavior?

It's normal for plants to produce some air bubbles. This process is a natural part of their growth and function.

It's possible that the air bubbles are CO2 from the fresh water that settles on surfaces, these tend to be stationary until disturbed, then release and float to the surface.

Another possibility is "pearling", where the dissolved CO2 in the fresh water triggers increased photosynthesis. Typically, CO2 is the limiting factor in low-tech or naturalfake method planted tanks. As a by-product of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen through their roots and leaves during intense photosynthesis. These oxygen bubbles are smaller and rise in a steady stream; if you look closely at the leaf, you'll see each stream originates from a specific spot. I've noticed this after many water changes, depending on the amount of CO2 dissolved in the tap water.

I checked out some videos of pearling and it looks just like what's going on in my tank. Appreciate the help, it's been really informative.