Java fern roots are fuzzy

[RandyJ]

Hello, I am new to plant keeping.

I have had some java ferns for about 1 1/2 months. They are tied to rock ornaments. The roots are getting fuzzy. Black fuzz and brown fuzz. Some of the leaves are starting to get holes.

Are the roots suppose to so this? Should I just throw out these plants?

I am starting to get brown algae in the tank now. Whould that be what is on the roots?

I need some help.

 

[happychem]

I had the same problem for a long time.

What solved it for me was the addition of some stem plants to the tank, CO2. Well, that stopped it coming back.

To get rid of it I prepared a 1:19 solution of bleach and water and submerged the plants for about 3 minutes, swirling the mix now and then. This will kill the algea but not the plant. Then I agressively pruned leaves that looked weak or dieing.

Now I keep a careful eye on my tank (not a hard task ). Anything decaying is removed right away. Getting my stocking level down to a reasonable level helped too.

 

[Tempest]

Java Fern roots are normally brown and fuzzy.

 

[happychem]

Heh, I was just thinking of that this morning as I was looking at my tank... , but the rest still holds if we're talking algae...

 

[RandyJ]

oh they are suppose to get fuzzy?

I already did happychem's bleach treament...the roots aren't fuzzy anymore.

 

[happychem]

To be accurate, java fern don't have 'roots' in the traditional sense. They are anchors to hold the plant down to whatever rock or tree root they may have grown on in the wild. They should have short barbs of sorts for catching and clinging onto stuff, but not fuzzy brown stuff. If bleach got rid of it, I'm inclined to think algae.