# Java fern problems



## petroica (Feb 23, 2011)

My java ferns used to be so easy to deal with, but lately they're just dying off on me. Admittedly, I was EI dosing before, despite mine being a low light tank, and when I actually figured out how to do correct nitrate readings (You sure do have to shake the tube a lot!), I felt terrible about the off the chart reading and felt like the tank probably has enough nutrients on its own, so I discontinued regular dosing. Nitrates still read around 40ppm+, though, and I do occassionally dose P, K, and micros, so I'm wondering where my imbalance is. Lights are 2xT5NO on a 29g for 8-10 hours. No CO2. Temperature is rather high at 84-86F, and has been for months. Is that the issue? Here are some photos:



























Also, I bought some narrow leaf java fern for a different tank and it came in with quite a bit of black leaves. I thought these were probably old and would produce plantlets and die off, but after some searching around the forums, it seems that this might be a disease and the only way to get a green plant out of it is to severely cut all the affected leaves. Some others say it's a low nitrates issue, or low/variable CO2. Any ideas what is really behind the spots below, and if the plant is salvageable?


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## petroica (Feb 23, 2011)

Any ideas?


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## AirstoND (Jun 17, 2011)

*Water Hardness*

What's your water's dGH and dKH?

I'd recommend some research on hardness/temperature/pH requirements of your plants. I know anacharis melt away at high temperatures depending on how high water hardness is.


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## supert (Jun 16, 2011)

Trim the dead leaves and it will grow back. That's what I did when the plants start to melt.


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## petroica (Feb 23, 2011)

supert said:


> Trim the dead leaves and it will grow back. That's what I did when the plants start to melt.


Tried this, but now the new leaves come in with this greyish melt. See the first photo, it even affects new plantlets.




AirstoND said:


> What's your water's dGH and dKH?
> 
> I'd recommend some research on hardness/temperature/pH requirements of your plants. I know anacharis melt away at high temperatures depending on how high water hardness is.


Really don't know my dGH and dKH, but these plants did very well for several months, up until relatively recently. This temperature is the upper end for java fern, but from what I've read, it should only slow growth, not cause this sort of melt. My java moss has also been reduced to strings, with barely any of the tiny leaves left on it. Brazilian pennywort and a hygrophila species have a constant slow melt. My anubias' oldest leaves are turning yellow.

My shrimp tank does just fine with the same plants, same water source, and no dosing. It is a few degrees cooler, but I have trouble believing the temperature alone would cause some of these issues.


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## johnny313 (Apr 15, 2011)

*"Lights are 2xT5NO on a 29g for 8-10 hours. No CO2. Temperature is rather high at 84-86F*"

it could be that you're dosing ferts and have high light with no CO2! and your temp is high!


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## petroica (Feb 23, 2011)

Light is low, actually. It's a 18" tall tank and the light has a poor reflector. As posted, I stopped dosing regularly. That's actually when the problems began (and I would rather not go back to heavy dosing because it seems like overkill). Temperature has been high for several months, though the plants only went south recently.

I've pretty much given up and severely cut down all the leaves and tossed the rhizomes in my shrimp tank. I'm sure they'll spring back normally. But I feel like I have a macronutrient issue in the main tank, since the anubias' old leaves are turning very yellow, and the java moss won't grow new leaves. I'll probably do a big water change and start dosing a fraction of EI.


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