I have Java fern attached to driftwood in two tanks: it grows fine in my 20 gallon tank, but in the 30 gallon, the leaves turn black or yellow and get holes in them. If I move the sick plants from the 30 gallon to the 20 gallon, they start to become healthy again. I have no idea what could be different enough between the two tanks to cause this. The 20 gallon actually has less light - 30 Watts per gallon - than the 30 gallon - 60 watts per gallon. I maintain both tanks the same way and use the same plant food in both. What could be causing the different results for the Java fern??
Java fern mystery
- Thread starter Paul
- Start date
I would be led to believe it could be lighting? I would think it could be the depth, causing less light to reach the plant, But I am not an expert
What other plants do you have in each? If you have faster growing plants in the tank with more lighting, they could be robbing the fern of nutrients (actually using the nutrients up quicker than the fern can).
Is one tank closer to the television? The electromagnetic waves could be...ha ha no. Just got a little silly.
Is one tank closer to the television? The electromagnetic waves could be...ha ha no. Just got a little silly.
Same thing happened to me when I bought a piece of wood with java fern on it. When I took it home I put it in an unheated tank so I think the temp difference could have caused it. That or possibly too much ammonia or other nutrient.
java fern
The regular java fern in one tank seems to do better when the DIY CO2 runs out. The narrow leaf java fern in another tank is beautiful in high CO2, constant, pressurized.
The only way I can explain it is that perhaps it is the changing conditions that it does not like.
The regular java fern in one tank seems to do better when the DIY CO2 runs out. The narrow leaf java fern in another tank is beautiful in high CO2, constant, pressurized.
The only way I can explain it is that perhaps it is the changing conditions that it does not like.
Well, I have some floating plants, including duck weed, in the 20-gallon tank, and there's a plastic bottle (cut in half) under the outlet of the Penguin 170 filter, which I put there to reduce the surface agitation. I have two Pearl gouramis in that tank and wanted to see if the male would build a bubble nest. The 30-gallon tank had nothing but Java fern until a few weeks ago, when I added Java moss because the fern was looking so sick. But the problem in the 30-gallon tank exixted for months prior to my adding the Java moss.
Since I'm not adding CO2, I didn't think the surface agitation would have much effect on the plants. I'm just curious whether the problem has to do with too much/too little light, too much/too little nutrients, or something else entirely.
Since I'm not adding CO2, I didn't think the surface agitation would have much effect on the plants. I'm just curious whether the problem has to do with too much/too little light, too much/too little nutrients, or something else entirely.
I'd be inclined to think nutrient deficiency if it isn't just a reaction to tranplanting it (if you recently moved it into the tank it may go through an ugly phase before it starts growing nice again).
I have some j fern in a 5 gal bucket, in the basement with no light that looks good (been there for 2 months). It hasn't grown much if at all. My Java fern in my main tank gets good light and CO2 injection and is getting too big for my liking. It too looks good.
It's the ratio of light to nutrients that's important as well as the presence of either.
I've had good results adding extra Potassium (K) when holes start to develop (which is usually a week after I didn't add any xtra K).
I have some j fern in a 5 gal bucket, in the basement with no light that looks good (been there for 2 months). It hasn't grown much if at all. My Java fern in my main tank gets good light and CO2 injection and is getting too big for my liking. It too looks good.
It's the ratio of light to nutrients that's important as well as the presence of either.
I've had good results adding extra Potassium (K) when holes start to develop (which is usually a week after I didn't add any xtra K).
I was thinking nutrients as well, this seems to be a low tech set-up you are talking about, what are you dosing as far as ferts if any, and what is the difference in fish loads waste etc. In my low tech set-ups (I don't do high tech) the J fern grows much better with a little K supplemented, and in the tank with the least plant to fish ratio. in other words it does well with more fish providing ammonia and nitrates. But it really didn't do extremely well until I started dosing K. in my big tank, there is J fern at every level. in a 31" tank there is quite a difference between light at the top and bottom. there doesn't seem to be any difference in growth or plant health with the J fern though.
I am adding Leaf Zone, which contains iron and potash (K2O). I assume the latter is an adequate source of potassium. I didn't add any to the larger tank for a few weeks because there was an algae bloom. But I think the problem predated that anyway. Anyway, if I can grow a plant in one out of two tanks, I figure I'm batting .500.
Just curious, what are the fish load difference For the purpose of N. in my low tech tanks, I supplement K based on The N produced by the fish, my guppy tank uses a lot more than my 115g.
.500 batting average isn't bad, but higher would be more fun.
.500 batting average isn't bad, but higher would be more fun.