How to help plants handle high heat???

[patryuji]

My Java Fern is utterly suffering from the heat I am putting my tank through (87 degrees fahrenheit due to possible ich outbreak). Growth slowed as the heat increased. Now at 87 degrees for 8 days I have seen no measurable (by my eyes) growth on any of my Java Ferns (baby plantlets and the main plant). Additionally the leaves on the main plant are starting to become thinner and take on translucent qualities in random places.

GH = ~6 degrees
KH = ~4 degrees
pH = 6.6
DIY CO2
Just under 2WPG in a 29 gallon tank
NO3 = ~10ppm
I dose with just under 0.4ml of Flourish every other day.

[BTW- the hornwort and hygrophila I have went crazy and starting growing super fast as the temps were raised from 80 through 85 over the course of a few days but now they have settled back down to "normal" growth rates at 87 degrees. Moneywort and java moss seem unaffected by the temps as far as I can tell]

 

[medge00]

Can you lower the temp to 85? you'll still be fighting ich, but saving the plants

 

[patryuji]

Hmm...from what I've read 86 degrees or 88 degrees is recommended for fighting Ich. I'd add salt (I beleive java ferns can handle it) but I don't think any of my other plants could handle that.

Well just a few more days and treatment will be over. Then I can begin nursing my fern back to health (I hope it recovers again because I don't want to give Ich a chance to come back and force the heat treatment again).