will java fern do better or worse with poor water quality?

[dereks]

I know it's a weird question but I'm asking because mine is not doing so well and I haven't tested the water in ages. I do regular maintenence and the fish seem fine based on behavior. Think its because as it grows there are less nutrients to go around? I always thought that uneaten food and stuff was like fertilizer to the aquatic plants but then again wouldn't a ton of water changes constantly replenish the iron for them? What's better for it? I dose very small amounts of fertilizer, scared of what it will do to the fish, regardless of what people say about it.

 

[FrostyNYC]

We need more info about the java fern. What's your tank size and lighting? How often are the lights on? What ferts are you dosing and how often? What's wrong with the fern now? Is it yellowing? Not growing? Turning to mush?

Regarding water changes, I believe that water changes benefit fish to a MUCH greater degree than they benefit plants.

 

[coach_z]

if you are so concerned with your fish and not dosing ferts because of their health, letting your j. fern grow in worse conditions will only harm your fish.

Plant growth starts with light, then to CO2 => then nutrients, not the other way around. This is basic plant bio 101.

Fish need food and clean water. to do this you need to dose fertilizers (daily/bidaily/according to the bottole), feed your fish(6days/week, provide a co2 source (during daylight hours)(optional), and change your water(20-50% weekly depending on various variables)

you wont hurt your fish with ferts as long as you dose properly.

Nutrients will not [kill/hurt your fish] unless you go absolutely crazy and add 200ppm of KNO3 or something.

we can help you define properly if you would like.

 

[jpappy789]

I agree...plants will readily use up any nitrogen they can, and seem to prefer ammonia and nitrites over nitrate. The only reason people dose nitrates instead of the other two is because it's much less toxic to fish and easy to remove with water changes.

In a plant only tank, I see no problem with letting conditions go bad. However, with fish you should have water changes and fish health as a priority over how your plants are doing. It doesn't take much for java fern to survive anyways.

8-10 hours of minimal light (we're talking as low as .5 wpg) with the occasional use of a fert like Flourish and excel for carbon would be more than enough. Do not worry about ferts hurting your fish...as Tom Barr said and Coach quoted, nutrients will not hurt your fish within a pretty large boundary. Most products have dosing guidelines and if you stay at or below those you should have no problems.