Sometimes when you PWC, adding the water back in super oxygenates the water, and the excess O2 can accumulate under the leaves. This is very common, and is commonly referred to as False Pearling.
As for the him? question, too hard to tell with the blurry pic, but if his dorsal fins extend past the start of his anal fin, that's typically (though not always) a good sign of a male.
Possible explanation 2.
The water you added to the tank had air dissolved in it. It was probably cooler water than the water in the tank. Air is less soluble in warm water than cold. The water you added warmed up and could not hold onto the air it had dissolved and 'false pearling' ensued.
"したくさ" Sean
Aquascape? I'm a crypt farmer.
If you've got bait, I've got wasabi!
I wish I could be like Mr. Sarcastic when I grow up!
Only reason I dont think it is that is it is only pearling off a few leaves and not all over the tank but it is always possible (I would like to believe I am doing something right though.).
Stop mugging for the camera and get back to work!
Better pic of the tank as it currently is setup.
Ill put up more after I fix whatever is dropping my connection to dialup speed
The other Jeff
Master of growing algae and getting better at plants
It is perfectly possible to have false pearling and true pearling at the same time in a freshly partialed tank.
For false pearling all that is reguired is cool mains water (below tank temperature and under significant pressure, so holding much more dissolved gas than is possible at tank temp. and ambient pressure), even if mixed with warm/hot water to match tank temps. If the water has been aged and tempered, false pearling cannot occur as excess dissolved gases will have off-gassed to the air.
For true pearling the requirements are O2 saturation/supersaturation, dissolved CO2 (preferably above air equilibrium), light and and healthy plants to carry on photosynthesis. Even if the tank does not ordinarily pearl other than after a partial, photosynthesis can still go on perfectly well, it just does not show by pearling without O2 saturation.
The required conditions are not mutually exclusive.
