Brown patches spreading on my java fern?

[FishBliss]

I've had java ferns in my tanks for 2 years and have not seen this before. It starts as a small patch of transparent brown and spreads until the leaf is lacy and dead. In the first picture you can see one leaf where it is starting and another leaf that is dead (right in the center, behind the floating roots). Next two pictures show a leaf about half way dead.

I suspect there is a nutrient lacking, but wondering what it is -- or perhaps it's a fungus? (My houseplants and garden plants sometimes get a dark spot and it's fungus.)

It seems to be just on this individual plant -- I have 2 dozen other java ferns in this tank and another tank and none of them show any signs of this rotting away. This particular fern happens to sit high on a piece of wood near the light source, so it certainly isn't lack of light.

A few other plants have had leaves with tiny black holes which are consistent with the description of potassium deficiency(which I have increased), but this looks different.

I haven't ever dosed nutrients in a serious way or followed a schedule. I'm getting ready to, though. Seems that the plants are telling me I'd better hurry up.

I'd appreciate any thoughts.

 

[FishBliss]

well, I thought it was only on one plant....but as I looked more closely I can see it on 3-4 more plants as well. Doesn't seem to be an epidemic yet, but I'd love to know what's out of whack.

 

[froggsong]

I'd like to know as well. I've lost almost all of the leaves off of all of my plants, and even some of the rhizomes have died. I had lots and lots of java ferns, and they were some of my favorite plants. I've moved up to a bigger tank and they started dying off within the week.

 

[fishycat]

Hm, every so often I get this - actually until recently all my leaves were pretty horrible to look at. Are any baby plants forming? Every damaged leaf I get throws out at least a couple plantlets. Also when I move the plants around I think the leaves can get bruised which causes the die off.

Now all my plantlets are growing up abd I finally have nice java fern.

 

[RazzleFish]

How much light does your tank have? What are the parameters (ie: ammonia, nirtIte and nitrAte)? Is it only on java ferns or is it on other species of plants as well? If it's on other plants, what kind are the plants? I was thinking if you have too much light, they may be getting "burnt", or if you have ammonia or nitrIte, they may be getting poisoned/ burt in a different way.

 

[dundadundun]

going by the translucent tips i'd say it's close enough to the lights without enough ferts/co2 that it's growing too fast for the nutrient demand to keep up in general. if you can shade it some or move it a couple inches lower in the tank it should hold you over for now.

my 2 cents...

 

[FishBliss]

I wondered about being too close to the lights so I looked at the bottom plants. They have it, too. Just as much. I've included pics of the bottom plants. Maybe with enough views it will jog someone's memory for what this could be. It's actually more widespread than I first thought, now that I look.

I doubt my light is too high. This is a 29 gal tank with one Flora-Sun fluorescent bulb -- don't remember the watts, it's the kind you get off the rack at any fish store. I test my water weekly and it is currently ammo 0, nitrites 0, nitrates ~10-15ish. The pH is around 7.8. I have 2 tanks...the other is a 10 gal with pretty much the same params except the pH is more neutral (don't know why it would be different) but the java ferns in that tank do not have this issue -- only the 29 gal.

And yes, the javas are putting out baby plants -- I'd say about 20% of the leaves have babies sprouting. But even some of the babies have this brown spot starting.

I could pick off all the leaves. Don't know if that would stop the spread.

It seems that clusters of leaves have it -- not widely spaced individual leaves. Is it something contagious to other leaves?

I've recently started adding Nutrafin Plant Grow -- it seemed to be an all purpose fert. It is since then that this has started. But it could be coincidence, as well.

I'm sad because I was really happy with the direction the tank was going.

I think I need to start C02, but there is so much info I hardly know where/how to begin. I also don't know if that's the solution to this brown problem.

sigh

 

[FishBliss]

oh, and java ferns are the predominant plant. I have some java moss just starting and a couple of really stringy stem plants that don't have this brown problem (at least as far as I can see, but the leaves are really tiny), but probably could use more light.

 

[froggsong]

Mine is doing the same thing... Looks exactly the same. And my java moss is browning too.

 

[cobfreak]

If all of the leaves aren't like that on a given plant, can you cut them off and see if that helps? (don't do it on my account, I have no idea, I'm just thinking out loud here.) And I see you already mentioned that you could try picking off the leaves.

And AMEN about the CO2 thing and the too-much-information. I tried to start a DIY CO2 setup last night but so far I'm not feeling the joy. Managed to start a syphon back into the bottle, so that was awesome. Went and got a check valve today and some other crap, all the while thinking about how this'll be yet another DIY "money saver" that'll end up costing more than buying the actual stuff right from the start.

Sorry don't mean to hijack.