Java Fern Melt

[Ice222]

I've purchased some windelov fern in the last few months. The first time I placed it in the tank, all of it started turning almost a translucent clear brown, all of it was brown within a few days to a week. It was tied to the driftwood at that time, and was under a single tube 30cm aqua one light for 5 hours a day. The second time, I placed it in a different tank for 2 weeks before transferring it over. The first tank it was in was an AR380 with standard lighting for 5 hours a day, it was perfectly healthy (growing even) in that tank. Once I transferred it to the tank I bought it for, it started to do the same thing (although not quite as quickly as last time). The only thing that has changed between the 1st and 2nd time was that it had a 60cm Hagen glo unit instead of the aqua one light (ie. much stronger lighting). Basically I'm trying to diagnose what the cause of this 'melting' is.

Now here is some tank info:

Ammonia: 0/trace amounts

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 5ppm

Temp: 27C

PH and hardness: Around 7, I say 'around' because I was lazy to do a proper test and just used a test strip. All the same the results were similar to the PH and hardness of my other tanks, perhaps just slightly softer and more acidic since it has more driftwood.

Stocking is: 3 small Upside down cats, 1 Sparkling Gourami, 1 choc gourami, 3 scarlet badis.

At first I though it was melting due to Excel, as areas with higher flow tended to turn first, and I had done a wc both times after I added the plants and redosed everything: comprehensive, trace, and excel. I did the WCs since I could vaccum under the wood while I took it out to tie plants on. But it seems strange to me that it would still melt so fast, especially since I only did half the recommended dose of excel. Plus all the other plants are healthy. Now I'm thinking it may just be nutrient deficiency (though I'm not sure which) and excel sped up the intake of nutrients and accelerate the problem rather than causing it. All the other plants are rooted in the substrate, which is a flourite mix, so that may be why they're fine?

So do you think it's a case of nutrient deficiency? If that's the case, what should I be dose, or should I just does more of everything except perhaps excel? I was thinking it may be the low nitrates, but I'm not sure where to buy just nitrate ferts alone without buying in bulk. Anyway, would love to hear from the experts, pics should come soon. Just waiting for the sun to set so it kills the glass reflections.

by the way it became algaed after it went brown, and the tank is basically algae free except for diatoms as it's a fairly new tank (about 2-3 months I'd estimate)?

[kiwiplymouth]

I grow all mine in rainwater which is very soft and has a very low Ph.

Added minerals, nutrients and co2 seem to have little effect on growth.

The best lighting seems to be 7100K eco fluoro

Mine grows like a weed

[Jennifer]

The Excel/carbon will increase the plant's need for nutrients and that can accelerate deficiency, especially in Java fern. Java fern will grow in all sorts of conditions but in high lighting, it requires a lot of nutrients or it will develop deficiency very fast. Also, it is subject to shock.

I would try adding a whole lot of Flourish Comprehensive, double the dose on the bottle 3 times a week (it is safe for fish at high doses) and cut back the photo period a bit. Add Excel twice a week using the dose rate on the bottle. Just trim off the affected leaves, they can't be saved but you should start to see new growth coming up slowly. In two weeks you should see a big difference. If you use more light, you may need to add more fertilisers (eg, NPK) to compensate for the increased demand. :thup:

[Ice222]

Thanks Jennifer, it's good to know that I can dose a bit more comprehensive without harming the fish. Most of them are pretty far gone, even the rhizome's gone brown, but I'll see if any of the green bits remaining will turn around with more ferts and a shorter photoperiod.

[Sophia]

I had lovely windelov from kiwiplymouth and it started to die off like yours did quite quickly. At the time i put it down to the lighting being much less as his came from hi tech tank. Trouble with that reasoning is that I also got plain java fern from someone else and that also died, it grew back slowly and then died again when I took the salt out of the tank. Again is growing back slowly but it's still temperamental. Narrow leaf java from Sandringham is doing ok and growing. Some other little pieces of phillipine and other java fern I got from Jennifer is also still growing but very very slowly.

In short, I think they don't like our water because we both have different lights but get the same result in the leaves. I saved bits of brown rhizome and planted them in the low light different light loach tank but they have disappeared.

I blame God :an!gry

[Ice222]

Yea but it can't just be my tap water since it was doing well in my AR380, and I have chucked some of the tiny random bits that were too small to plant, into my fighter tank (unanchored) and it hasn't died either :dunno:?

Bah plants! They're so pretty when you have them, but when you want to keep them, they expect you to read their mind, expect you to treat them nice, and even then, get they all moody for unidentifiable reasons :gigl:

[Sophia]

I forgot about that tank :dunno:

[Ice222]

I forgot about that tank :dunno:

It's okay I forget about it too. Yet somehow it's the most problem free tank (i better not have jinxed it now *touches wood*)