Why does my Java fern look ratty?

[platytudes]

Hi everyone!

I have a 10 gallon tank with two 10 watt screw-in CFLs - I believe they are 6,500k full spectrum bulbs. Lights of America makes them, you can find them at Walmart in the fish department.

In this tank I have Java moss (which is growing like a weed, naturally) and Java fern. I am not too happy with the way the Java fern is looking. I got it out of one of those gel tube thingies at Petco, but it just looks kind of...meh. Any ideas on what to do to make it happier?

It's buried in sand. About once a month, I add 5 drops of Schultz Plant Food Plus, which is 10-15-10 liquid fertilizer formulated for houseplants. I mix it in with the water change water. No ill effects - doesn't seem to bother the ghost shrimp or snails any, and seems to make the Java moss grow faster. It's nice to have a tank to harvest it from, from time to time

Any help unraveling the mystery would be much appreciated...

Nicole

 

[Slappy*McFish]

Looks good and healthy to me. That's how it normally looks. Just make sure the rhizome isn't buried and it does better attached to driftwood rather than planted.

 

[Dr. Awkward]

X2

 

[platytudes]

You think those holes and brown spots are normal? Oh, and I've tried taking off those little plantlets and planting them...they haven't really done much, they don't seem to die but don't seem to grow either.

Maybe the times that I've seen really neat, tidy looking Java fern was in tanks with CO2. And yes, always attached to driftwood. Maybe I'll try that

Thanks!

 

[abcdefghi]

You think those holes and brown spots are normal? Oh, and I've tried taking off those little plantlets and planting them...they haven't really done much, they don't seem to die but don't seem to grow either.

Yup, its normal looking. The leaves get those holes and turn brown usually after some plantlets have come off them.

 

[kj5kb]

Looks normal.

Every once in awhile I'll run my fingers thru it and pull off any loose or ratty leaves. Seems to help a bit.

 

[THE V]

First off please carefully read the fertilizer label. If you see either NH4 or ammonium anywhere in the ingredients listing discontinue using the fertilizer. This is toxic to fish and invertebrates. You may have not seen any issues so far but you run a very high risk of harming your fish.

Second the plantlets are probably not growing because you are not fertilizing enough. They need food to grow.

And lastly, java fern often does the plantlet thing whenever it is stressed. This is how it reproduces. Since it is unhappy right now it is trying to send out plantlets to other locations to see if they can find somewhere better. It will still do this when happy but to a lesser degree.

 

[schaadrak]

First off please carefully read the fertilizer label. If you see either NH4 or ammonium anywhere in the ingredients listing discontinue using the fertilizer. This is toxic to fish and invertebrates. You may have not seen any issues so far but you run a very high risk of harming your fish.

Five drops in a ten gallon once every week (or two) is not going to harm much. Your fish, shrimp and snails collectively probably put out more than that in one day and the plants and bacteria will take care of that in a matter of minutes.

Second the plantlets are probably not growing because you are not fertilizing enough. They need food to grow.

2 WPG without CO2 does not justify adding ferts. The plantlets could also be going through an adjustment period after being detached from the parent. They do continue to draw nutrients from the parent until the leaf dies off, so give them a few weeks to acclimate.

And lastly, java fern often does the plantlet thing whenever it is stressed. This is how it reproduces. Since it is unhappy right now it is trying to send out plantlets to other locations to see if they can find somewhere better. It will still do this when happy but to a lesser degree.

If the parent plant is still sending out healthy green leaves regularly, I wouldn't worry about it being stressed. The only ones in my tank that send out plantlets are the ones that are stronger growers. The shaded plants that don't grow much don't send out any at all.

I'm actually more concerned that you spent way too much money at PetCo for a plant that you could have gotten cheaper from some of the members here.

 

[THE V]

Five drops in a ten gallon once every week (or two) is not going to harm much. Your fish, shrimp and snails collectively probably put out more than that in one day and the plants and bacteria will take care of that in a matter of minutes.

It still can burn their gills/soft tissues and make them susceptible to disease. Even if there is no apparent external damage. Why risk it when nitrate based fertilizers are safe and cheaper?

2 WPG without CO2 does not justify adding ferts.

Absolutely incorrect. If a plant is growing in an aquarium it needs ferts. That the same as telling someone that a betta will live off the the roots of an Easter lily.

 

[katana1200]

It still can burn their gills/soft tissues and make them susceptible to disease. Even if there is no apparent external damage. Why risk it when nitrate based fertilizers are safe and cheaper?




Absolutely incorrect. If a plant is growing in an aquarium it needs ferts. That the same as telling someone that a betta will live off the the roots of an Easter lily.

This is very strange indeed. I have many plants that are tied to dritwood in my tank. I have not put a drop of anything other than prime in there in the last year and I believe each of the rhizomes on my Anubias Lanceolatas have grown more than one inch and more than doubled the number of leaves. No browning leaves, no pinholes, no problems. And the African water fern has threatened to take the rest of the tank hostage. I probably see 4 fiddle heads a week from that plant alone in just over 1 wpg. The only thing I may have for true ferts in there is a layer of potting soil under the sand but I couldn't say for sure how much of the nutrients from that soil make it into the water column. Other than that its normal water changes and dechlor. tap water. If and/or when I see nutrient deficiency I will consider a fertalizer but so far so good. With all respect THE V, just my personal experience, wich is very limited.