Is this a problem?

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jlbfish

Aquarium Advice FINatic
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
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806
Location
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Or just brown algae? I planted this guy about 2 mos ago.

No frets or root tabs it's the only plant for now. I did get an Anubias to add but wanted to wait.
 

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Is that the way you bought the java fern? Doesn't look like algae, more like a deficiency or a diseased plant.. I had something similar in a java fern i bought on clearance because it looked like that. My thought was that since java fern is a tough plant that it would recover. On the contrary it turned out to be a java fern disease that eventually spread to my other java fern and killed them too.

Edit...
Here's a picture of mine:
img_2172022_0_1ca28530def663f2a6341f58bae6fefd.jpg
 
I thought it could be in the substrate OR tied to driftwood or something? It can't be in the substrate at all?

It looked ok when I bought it. This has happened over time.
 
Yes, the rhizome must be above substrate so it can pull nutrients from the water column. It doesn't take long for those things to grow roots and hold on to whatever you tie it to.
 
You can put java fern in the substrate by the roots but you just have to take care not to completely bury the rhizome.

If that happened over time i think it's a deficiency and that you should dose some ferts.
 
The roots of anubia can be planted in the substrate and it will grow but it's always been my understanding that Java Ferns don't do well at all when planted in the substrate. They really need to be tied onto DW or non smooth rock. This could be alot of your problem. From the picture it looks like you have other plants? Are they all looking fine? If so you should remove the java fern from the substrate and tie it to DW. It may recover by growing new good leave or it may not. If it does start growing new good leaves I'd cut the old nasty ones off.
 
Lol they're fine. They are plastic :)


Ok I have plenty of driftwood to tie it to what do you tie or glue with?

Or and dose with flourish or whatever that is? I just add to the water right?

A lot of the brown will rub off during water changes but not all

Thanks for the help :)
 

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Yeah I would dose Seachem Flourish and Excel. For Iron and Potash, you can get a bottle of API Leaf Zone as well. The root tabs wouldn't be that necessary since I don't think Java Fern or the Anubias are heavy root feeders. If you add plants such as Swords and Crypts, then yes, root tabs are recommended. The directions are on the bottles, but yes, you just add to the water.

If the brown is rubbing off, it might be diatoms... that will subside on it's own and is usually found in new aquarium setups. Snails such as Nerites, or even Otos can be added to help control algae (including diatoms, which is not actually an algae). Otherwise, continue rubbing it off during your normal PWC routine.
 
If you tie it on with black cotton thread you will hardly see the tread and since it's cotton it will eventually just dissolve.
 
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