Java Fern Tip melting

[venymae]

I recently took some java fern pieces that were floating around in my 29 gallon and tied them to a piece of driftwood and some rocks. They were all little pieces I found almost dead (all leaves were dead but rhizome was good) in a second-hand tank I bought. I started tying them to driftwood because they finally showed signs of putting out leaves. None of them have more than one leaf, so I am worried.

Some of my newly transferred moss is also doing poor, though the established stuff on driftwood is doing great.

Tank is 29 gallon low-tech. Dirt with sand cap. 3 Molly, 9 danio, 4 cory cats, a guppy, and some snails.

This is my lighting.

Ammo 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate ~5 pH 7.8

 

[Rivercats]

It can take time for new starts or rhizome pieces to begin growing. If your not using ferts in your tank they could also be having nutrient deficiency issues. Your nitrates should be at least 10ppm and phosphates 1-3ppm in a planted tank.

 

[venymae]

It can take time for new starts or rhizome pieces to begin growing. If your not using ferts in your tank they could also be having nutrient deficiency issues. Your nitrates should be at least 10ppm and phosphates 1-3ppm in a planted tank.

Well my nitrates are pretty low, so I guess I'll see if I can get them higher, as for phosphate, I have no clue! Might have to do some research. The rhizomes have all began to grow, they all have one leaf, I am worried because the one and only leaf on almost all of them is either melting or getting brown spots.

 

[venymae]

Would the brown spots also be cause by the same thing?

 

[Rivercats]

Java fern leaves often develop brown/black spore dots the same as you see on terrestrial ferns. If they are developing brown areas or leaf edges that is a nutrient deficiency problem.

 

[Mr. Nowhere]

That's new growth not melting if it's a clear green it's just growing

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[Rivercats]

New growth is not clear but a uniform light green color. When a leaf has any clear tissue on it that indicates melting or a nutrient deficiency or some say java fern disease which not much is known about.

 

[Mr. Nowhere]

I'm just saying looking at the pic it looks like new growth

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[Rivercats]

If you look at the single leaf on the rhizome it has normal green coloring on the top end of the leave and as you look down the leaf towards the bottom you will see a distinct line where the leaf is becoming very pale and somewhat transparent. The leaf is melting from the bottom up and over time what little bit of normal green leaf tissue will slowly become transparent. New growth is a nice uniform green color.

 

[venymae]

I can tell it's definitely melt. The new growth was all bright green, then this happened.
Ok so nutrient deficiency it is. I've moved a couple of the other water column feeder to another tank (it's got Theadore [BN pleco] so I needed a nitrate eater anyway!) Any idea for getting my nutrient levels higher without having to buy extra products? I recently added a couple more fish so hopefully that will help.

 

[PJFISH]

If you look at the single leaf on the rhizome it has normal green coloring on the top end of the leave and as you look down the leaf towards the bottom you will see a distinct line where the leaf is becoming very pale and somewhat transparent. The leaf is melting from the bottom up and over time what little bit of normal green leaf tissue will slowly become transparent. New growth is a nice uniform green color.

This is happening to my java fern as well, many spots that appear to be melt. I use flourish micros and macros, excel and co2. Not sure what else it could be burnsides lights melting it.

 

[Rivercats]

I don't recommend adding more fish to a tank just to increase nitrates. It far better overall to just get some cheap dry KNO3, potassium nitrate and dose as needed. I buy y dry ferts from Greenleaf Aquariums.

 

[venymae]

Oh that's not why I added the fish, it's just a nice coincidence The tank was pretty understocked before.
I might see what happens if I just leave things be.
My water tested <.25 ammonia 0 Nitrites and 10 Nitrates after 2 weeks with no WC (a test I did to see if it was safe to go on vacation without someone changing water ) So I might just start to do biweekly changes instead of weekly, as the water looks good. Will keep an eye out though, since I did add 5 fish since then.

If that doesn't help perk some of the plants, I might just call it a loss and go with the heavy root feeders who are doing great with just dirt!