kinda sad...java fern aint lookin too hot

[DaPony87]

my java fern has a peppered effect of black on its leaves along with the amazon sword plant i have in my tank i was wondering on wat could be the problem....i dont believe its the lighting i have planty of watts fer it. could it be water hardness?

 

[LAGlocker]

What wpg are you running? Using any fertilizers or co2? What about your other water parameters? Many things could be causing this.

 

[Mr Burns]

my first thought is the fern spores...but why would they be on the sword? my next thought is spot algae...

more info needed...

 

[DaPony87]

ph is constant 7.4. I dont kno the degrees of hardness i'll have to do a check on that tonight. Im using an emperor 400 for filtration so thats the gph going through it. I dont use fertilizers or co2 but i have flourite substrate in it. its a 55 gallon aquarium

 

[LAGlocker]

What kind of lighting are you running, how many watts? Please supply more info. You may have too much, or not enough lighting, or even need to start using fertilizers or co2 or any number of things. Mr burns is right, it could be algae, or any number or things, is hard to tell with out more info.

 

[DaPony87]

2 philips brand plant lights which are 40 watts a bulb so thats 80 and then 2 20 watt aqua-glow lights

 

[madasafish]

So, that's 120 Watts on a 55 gallon. Should be a fine level for Java Ferns. They're known to survive in >1wpg tanks. And the wattage is not *so* high that you would really need CO2 (which would be the case if you had 2.5/3 wpg or more). You could start adding ferts... and I'd certainly recommend a bit of CO2 so that your plants don't deplete the KH in the tank to get carbon (which would reduce the buffering capacity of your tank).

Are the spots on the back of the Java Fern brown or black? The spores are usually brown, spherical and about 1-2 mm in diameter. These are indications of a healthy plant. If the Fern seems to be droppy, if the leaves are looking transparent, brown or black, then you have a problem. Trim off dying leaves so that the rot doesn't extend to the stem and rhizomes.

As for the Amazon Swords, those are techy plants. I think you really need more light for them than you presently have...

 

[DaPony87]

alright the amazon sword is definitly biting the dust. as for ferts i dont kno anything bout them :?

 

[LAGlocker]

Fertilizers arent that hard, if you use the right brands. Many people buy bulk and mix it up themselves, me I use Seachem and Kent for my fertilizers. I myself would recommend useing Seachem flourish, or flourish excel in your tank, if that isnt available I would say use Kent Grow. I use both brands, and have had no problems with my plants. If you really want to go all out, you can buy the whole Seachem or kent line and do daily dosing.

 

[DaPony87]

are they liquid fertilizers that u add each day or everyother day or they like suttin u put in the roots?

 

[LAGlocker]

The ones I use are liquid fertilizers that I use every day. They say you can use it weekly, but I prefer to dose on a daily basis so I know exactly what I am putting in my tank. You can be seachem root tabs if you want to use those too, but I personally would use just a root tab. Of course my tanks are heavily planted, one of them so that I really have a hard time seeing the fish I have in the tank, except at feeding time lol.

 

[DaPony87]

alright ill look them up when i go to my lfs this week.......how much does a bottle usually cost and last if used daily?

 

[LAGlocker]

Cost? I think it runs like 4 dollars or something here. I have a bottle of seachem that I have been using for a month, 8 drops a day, and its about half full right now.

 

[DaPony87]

oh wow thats not exspensive at all! sweeeeet lol alright thanks! mwhaha hella healthy plants here i come thanks guys