Pale java fern fix?

[PJFISH]

My lights are kinda bleaching my java fern. Is there any remedy? I know it needs more shade and I'm working in that.

 

[PJFISH]

My lights are kinda bleaching my java fern. Is there any remedy? I know it needs more shade and I'm working in that.

Anyone? I know the lights are the culprit, just wondering if iron or anything would help?

 

[Old Scales]

I put some Crypt wendi in my high light tank from my med light 16g. It doesn't like it. The leaves are bleaching out and turning yellow. You'll need to filter the light by shading someway. I've read where peeps have used the plastic egg crate mesh as a light screen.
OS.

 

[PJFISH]

I put some Crypt wendi in my high light tank from my med light 16g. It doesn't like it. The leaves are bleaching out and turning yellow. You'll need to filter the light by shading someway. I've read where peeps have used the plastic egg crate mesh as a light screen.
OS.

Oh, ok I've never thought about something like that. Right now I'm trading the pennywort at the surface to try and give it some shade. Do you think adding iron would make it green again or is it a lost cause?

 

[Rivercats]

When low light tolerant plants are put under higher lights they often will appear to wash out. I've grown Crypt Wendtii under my metal halides and they've grown like weeds. Crypts grow taller in lower light and tend to grow lower and more horizontal in high light. Crypts like Wendtii Sunset actually get better color under higher light. In one of my 55g tanks I have Java Ferns growing 4 inches under a 2 bulb T5HO fixture with Geisemann bulbs and they grow great. Java ferns also like higher amounts of phosphates and I've found they don't tend to grow plantlets on leaves which IMO makes the plant look much better. So that being said your Java Fern could be reacting to the higher light while acclimating or it might be due to a nutrient deficiency.

 

[PJFISH]

When low light tolerant plants are put under higher lights they often will appear to wash out. I've grown Crypt Wendtii under my metal halides and they've grown like weeds. Crypts grow taller in lower light and tend to grow lower and more horizontal in high light. Crypts like Wendtii Sunset actually get better color under higher light. In one of my 55g tanks I have Java Ferns growing 4 inches under a 2 bulb T5HO fixture with Geisemann bulbs and they grow great. Java ferns also like higher amounts of phosphates and I've found they don't tend to grow plantlets on leaves which IMO makes the plant look much better. So that being said your Java Fern could be reacting to the higher light while acclimating or it might be due to a nutrient deficiency.

Thanks, I'm going to check the phosphates today, although I just did a 50% WC yesterday. I'll test again midweek. I have flourish potassium, not sure if that would raise phosphate?

 

[PJFISH]

I put some Crypt wendi in my high light tank from my med light 16g. It doesn't like it. The leaves are bleaching out and turning yellow. You'll need to filter the light by shading someway. I've read where peeps have used the plastic egg crate mesh as a light screen.
OS.

Ahhh! Just did a 50% WC change yesterday and just out of curiosity I got the API phosphate test yesterday because of algae growth. Just finished it and it was reading at least 5ppm, it was very blue, have a hard time reading those color charts, but it was at least 5ppm, maybe more! What do I do???

 

[Old Scales]

If you have almost all green plants, you shouldn't need that high of phosphates, but keep it relative to your nitrates. Try keeping NO3 at 10-20ppm and PO4 at 1-3ppm. Crypts are root feeders so put root tabs under them. With your traces, the root tabs should give you enough iron. Extra iron usually benefits non-green plants more. Be careful with iron. Too much can hurt more than help. OS.

 

[PJFISH]

If you have almost all green plants, you shouldn't need that high of phosphates, but keep it relative to your nitrates. Try keeping NO3 at 10-20ppm and PO4 at 1-3ppm. Crypts are root feeders so put root tabs under them. With your traces, the root tabs should give you enough iron. Extra iron usually benefits non-green plants more. Be careful with iron. Too much can hurt more than help. OS.

Ok, I'll stick to the root tabs. They should be enough, I use the DIY Osmocote/miracle grow tabs. Do you think I need to address the phosphates since it's so high after a WC? Like some treatment?

 

[Old Scales]

The best way to lower PO4 is with WC's. Also don't overdo the root tabs. Too many can cause high levels in the water as they dissolve. One under the crypts at about every 6" x 6" area is enough. They disperse into the substrate pretty far. OS.

 

[PJFISH]

The best way to lower PO4 is with WC's. Also don't overdo the root tabs. Too many can cause high levels in the water as they dissolve. One under the crypts at about every 6" x 6" area is enough. They disperse into the substrate pretty far. OS.

As always, thanks OS! I'll make sure I take it easy on the tabs, I may have put one or two too many. Keep up on weekly WCs and maybe something that will help neutralize phosphate

 

[Rivercats]

You should check your tap water for phosphates to see if that is the reason they are so high. If there isn't any phosphates in the tap water then doing a couple large WC's will lower them.

 

[Old Scales]

+1 I'm with Rivercats.

 

[PJFISH]

You should check your tap water for phosphates to see if that is the reason they are so high. If there isn't any phosphates in the tap water then doing a couple large WC's will lower them.

Good idea! I'll do that as well! Let you know what happens

 

[PJFISH]

+1 I'm with Rivercats.

So I checked my tap water and it looks to be 0-0.25 ppm for phosphates. I'm fairly sure the 5 ppm reading is due to one or two too many tabs. I'm not sure I'll be able to do another WC before the weekend. Have you ever used any phosphate lowering products?

 

[Old Scales]

No, just keep doing your weekly WC's and it will slowly come down. Keep the NO3 above 10ppm to stay in balance with the PO4. I'm not familiar with the home made root tabs so I can't say how strong they are. It's possible they aren't the problem but if you put in qiute a few it would be my first suspect. Don't add any for awhile and see if the PO4 comes down. OS.

 

[aqua_chem]

I've never really had plants bleach under high light, so maybe my experience differs from OS and Rivercats. Rather, crypts I've put into high light tanks have generally taken on a richer, darker coloration, with some developing redder colors that they didn't have under lower light. I would probably suspect another issue here, such as micronutrients.


Can you post a picture of the affected plant? It would probably help us a lot.