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Java Ferns Aren't Flourishing (Advice Needed)

Discussion in 'Aquatic Plants & Planted Tanks' started by Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    Java Ferns Aren't Flourishing (Advice Needed)
    OK I'm looking at my plants and my java ferns are not looking to health. I know it not light seeing how my other plants which are Willow hygro, java moss, what I think is hornwart(which is floating) and the bulb plants you can get from wal-mart seem OK, and the willow Hygro is showing great grow to.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009
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  2. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    That's strange since Java Ferns are truly hardy plants.

    What exactly do you mean by not doing well? (Ie. Leaves browning, holes in leaves, disintigration, transparency etc)

    Are you dosing with any fertilizers? (ie Flourish, Flourish Trace, Flourish Excel)
    IF NOT, I'd suggest trying some Flourish at a Minimum (1x a week)

    Is their any current where they/it is planted?

    How long are you leaving your lights on?

    Here's A quick copy to assist you:
    Java Fern Requirements
    Temperature: 68-82° F
    pH 6.0-7.5
    KH 3-8degrees
    Placement: Partially/Fully Submerged where they'll receive shade-moderate lt.
    Lighting: Minimum 2wpg (I know for a fact they can prosper with even less) 5000-7000K full spectrum bulb/bulbs for plant growth (6700k being best)
    Fertilizer: Needed
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 25, 2009
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  3. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Try putting the Java Fern is shadows in the tank... Java Fern DOES NOT like a lot of light! I had mine out in the main part of my tank and they withered away... I moved them were they dont get as much light and they all came back much better
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  4. James0816

    James0816 New Member

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    also, how do you have it in the tank? For example, is the rhizome burried?
     
    James0816, Mar 25, 2009
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  5. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Good point James! They dont like that either
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    OK I think I know the problem now, they are right under my light, and are buried up to their where their leaves start, so I think I did burry the rhizome.

    as for their like the have pieces missing the leaves, the leaves have brown and blackish spots on them.

    as for getting Fertilizer yes they are, how ever it only for a short while when my filter is off because it has activated carbon in the it.

    it also should be getting some good water flow around it from the sponge filter I have in there for right now. Note the sponge filter is going to be going in to my fry tank with in the next week or so.

    but as for the main HOB filter it is not being hit by the water come out of it but does have some water flow.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009
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  7. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    The brown/black spots are the sexual organs on the leaves... not a bad thing...
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    really it look like if dieing kinda, I mean I have had it for a long time and I have seen when it had been doing great, and doesn't seem like it.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009
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  9. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    the older leaves get dark bumps on the underside and when this happens the leaf will look like it is withering away. Those black spots if fertile will grow baby java fern plants from the leaves.... so the leaves dont really want to live if they are growing new plants as the new plants get the nutrients and the goal of the plant is the leaf to die so the new plants can drift off.

    If there is not much new growth though to the plant I would assume that is caused by burying the rhizome and having too much light on it. Also that would stunt new leaf growth making the plant overall look smaller than when you first had it (the light and burying the rhizome)
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    The black and brown spot are on the top of the leaves not the underside like you said.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009
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  11. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Are they like pimples or smooth to the leaf?

    Pimples - Good
    Leaf Color (smooth) - Bad
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    They look like a smooth to the leaf. but i could be wrong seeing how I'm at school and not my house.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009
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  13. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    Ok... that means it is the leaves dying! Too much light and the Rhizome being buried would do this...

    Move the plants and watch them... if they start looking better than you found the spot, if not move them again.

    It is REALLY hard to outright kill a Java Fern although they do deteriorate if they dont like where you put them....

    I had the same problem myself and I tied a few to a piece of driftwood in a shadow in it.... they are growing better than ever before... (well I did not tie then, I shoved the roots into a crack on the driftwood)
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    OK I'll try moving them up to the front of the tank where there a little less light, and move my plastic breeding or baby grass to where they are.

    thanks lemon.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 25, 2009
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  15. LemonDiscus

    LemonDiscus Active Member

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    No problem.... I had that happen before too and was like WTF!!!! I am horrible at plants... :)

    Then I moved them and they did better... still actually have a few more that need to be relocated :confused:
     
    LemonDiscus, Mar 25, 2009
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  16. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Ryan covered this pretty well (pats on back), but on a side note
    I'd take the carbon out of the filter...I found where some say it removes the plant additives, but seachem claims it doesn't (to me at least, but told anthony it does remove them). Lol!
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 25, 2009
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  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    I know carbon removes it, I going to remove my carbon this saterday, my tank should be stable by now.

    can I just empty out my filter cartage of the carbon then and use the same cartage.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 26, 2009
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  18. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    as long as theirs no carbon in it.
    take a razor blade and put a small slice along the side to empty the carbon out if its the type of cartridge that already has it in.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 26, 2009
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  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Thread Starter Guest

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    it is but it also has the clip and opens in the top, but they include 3 cartridges with plastic frame, and carbon all together.
     
    Anonymous, Mar 26, 2009
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  20. MOD_Dawn

    MOD_Dawn Active Member

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    Sounds like an emperor plastic cartridge?? If I'm close you can fill it with some Eheim brown cocoa puff balls (forget the technical name) for bio filtration.

    or ya can tuck some filter floss in there.

    other than that without a visual not sure what to suggest.
     
    MOD_Dawn, Mar 26, 2009
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