Java Fern turning brown

[IT-FishGuy]

I've had this java fern since I set up the tank about 1 to 2 years ago. I started noticing that it's leaves were turning brown in the center last weekend, so I trimmed those leaves off. Today I looked at it and the brown color is spreading and the some of the leaves look like they are deteriorating It looks like snails or something munching on the plant. I have a bushy nose, and 3 Cories in the tank, 2 angel fish and head and tail light as well as black neons that's it. I don't think the fish are munching on it. The other java ferns look fine as well as the other plants. It's my understanding that fish won't eat the plant because it doesn't taste all that great.

I did a PWC (20%) last weekend. It's a 35 Gal tank with a 17 watt life-glo bulb in it, which isn't much light I know. I aspire to get more watts later. Main levels are fine Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammonia.
Fish get fed twice a day with Tetramin rounds that have a mix of plant matter and other stuff.


From what I can see since the leaves are turning brown and the plant seems to be dying that this could be related to phosphates. The other planted tank I have is a 30 long with java ferns as well and it also had a 20% water change last week.

I'm going to take the plant out and trim off the brown leaves and inspect the roots.

Other than phosphates what else could this be?

 

[goldfiishman]

it means it is probably diying

 

[Smitty]

Don't java fern leaves turn brown when they are trying to sprout new plants? I seem to recall something like this and I think mine did the same thing. Any pictures? That may help as well.

Are there any roots or anything on these leaves? How big is the plant?

 

[IT-FishGuy]

Brown leaves

This plant has been great it's produced several offshoots that are in this tank as well as the other one I have. I don't ever remember seeing the leaves turn brown when it produces "fernlets", I have one in another tank that is doing that at the moment and there are no brown leaves on it. I do however remember when one of the offshots was being created in the past that the tip where it was developing went black and that's when I disconnected it from the parent.

The size of the plant is pretty big from when it started. It was about 6-7 inches wide. I just ran more tests on the water as I found a dead head and tail light at the top of the tank, but I am pretty sure that'll be due to another large one chasing it around. I had a higher level of ammonia in the tank so I did a PWC (20%) and took the fern out to look at it. It was in bad shape, lots of brown leaves, some of which fell off the root system was not in good shape so I gently pulled off what roots would easily fall off.

I then took off all leaves that were brown leaving about 2 strong ones left and one that seems a bit shabby. The total length of the main root is about 4 and a half inches long.

If I've done it right there should be attachments to this post. I forgot to mention light time. It's on a timer set for 11 hours, since I know it's low light.

 

[Smitty]

IMO the first and 3rd picture the plant looks good. I can't tell with that middle picture though. The roots look a little rotted though from the picture. If that is the case it would explain leaves turning brown. I've never had any of my ferns planted, they were all attached to driftwood... so not sure what could be causing it if that is what is going on (again, hard to tell from the photos).

 

[IT-FishGuy]

Photos and roots

When I pulled the plant from the tank it did appear that the roots were rotting so I left the plant out of the gravel this time around. So far it was fine planted in the gravel, however I know the plant does better floating or attached to wood and rocks so that's the route I am going to go and see if things improve. The leaves look good because I pruned everything that looked bad off. Hopefully that'll turn things around.

 

[Lowryder]

Are you using ferts? It could be a potassium deficiency, that is similar to phophorous definciency.