# Java Fern slowly dying



## jeff721 (Feb 4, 2011)

I'm no expert, but my java fern did this when it was too close to the lights. Also, are you dosing excel? 

What are your water parameters other than temperature?


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## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

I have had ferns do the same thing. I think what happened with mine is that they were damaged during shipping. In my case I believe they just got too hot. I basically just hacked off all the dead leaves. Now they are growing back with vengeance. You can't stunt them with too much light. I am growing them just fine with a metal halide. They do need some ferts of some sort in the water column however.


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## Patriot (Dec 22, 2010)

your water maybe be too warm or too close to the light. Also which direction is the blackening moving? If its going from tip to base then its just the leaves dying, if its moving from stem to tip then it could be the base can be damaged. At least in most cases that's how it it.


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

Hm... the one that is blackening is not really in direct shine of the light. But yeah it happens from tip to base. I dose liquid fert once a week during WC only. light is ON from 12noon till 9pm. 

Sorry I can't give u any details on water parameters though, because I am one of those guys who just do it by trial and error till things "seems" right. 

The part I don't get is, there is totally NO new shoots AT ALL! not even a tiny one... my anubias already sending out like 10 leaves already.


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## ScottFish (Sep 24, 2011)

How long have you had them and are you sure the rhyzome is not planted under the substrate? Congrats on the Anubias growing so well; it usually takes them longer to grow than the Java.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

And that may be your problem, you said once a week after your weekly water change you dose ferts. Low tech tanks with weekly dosing should only get a water change every other month. Tap water has available CO2 so you do a water change and the plants perk up and pearl then there slighly happy the next day with a little CO2 still in their systems, day 3 back to normal with no CO2, day 4,5,6, nada, now you do a water change and start the on/off cycle of CO2 again.

Try not doing a water change 2 months from the last, this should be your schedule with only 1 light dose of a full spectrum fertilizer every week.

Take to minnows and call me in the morning.


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

150EH, do you mean I should only do WC once a month? won't that spike up the nitrates in there?


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

jeff721 said:


> I'm no expert, but my java fern did this when it was too close to the lights.


 
I dont believe being to close to the light causes this. Here is my old 55 with ferns at the top.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

doncityz said:


> 150EH, do you mean I should only do WC once a month? won't that spike up the nitrates in there?


 
If its a planted tank YOU WANT Nitrates? Heck I put them INTO my tanks


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## doncityz (May 17, 2011)

I don't get it. I was under the impression that 10-20% of WC weekly is a must to ensure no toxic build ups for the fish. How often do you guys do WC? and how many %?


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

if you have Good filtration and a well planted aquarium and DONT dose excess ferts you can go 2 or 3 weeks without doing WC. Before I starting really dosing ferts I'd go a month without WC. There's been countless debates on the subject.

Plants EAT Nitrates (nitrogen) so you want that in the tank. 

Because I dose excess ferts I do weekly 40% WC. You water and parameters should indicate to you when to do WC's.


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## Mr. Limpet (Dec 26, 2010)

Is it possible that there is a fungal disease that attacks Java Ferns? After introducing some new plants I'd bought over the internet ( without disinfecting them-stupid, I know) all of my Java Ferns, which I'd been growing for years with no problems,suddenly started dying. The leaves would develop brown spots surrounded by gray, which spread very quickly until the whole leaf was covered.Eventually the leaves broke off from the rhizome. After a while new leaves grew in from the rhizomes, but it was just a matter of time until the same thing happened again. Has anyone observed the same thing, & would some kind of fungicide be effective?


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