Java Fern disintegrating?

[SNorlin]

Hi all, I have had my java fern in my tank for about 6 months and it was growing great. A few weeks ago I noticed it wasn't looking so great, like it was rotting or something. I know how java ferns propagate, this is not what is happening. I have fertilizer tabs in the substrate underneath the where the java floats and it's roots go into the substrate ( rhizome above). I have recently started dosing liquid fertilizers as I thought it could be due to lack of nutrients. I also have set up a new LED light to see if that helps. Tank is well established ( lots of other plants, but all of the java ferns in the tank look the same). I will post a pic tomorrow. Any help would be greatly appreciated and helpfull. I am hoping to save my java ferns as my fish love them.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[keegster803]

Are they turning black? The leaves turning crumbly?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

By any chance did you introduce new java fern specimens to the tank?

 

[SNorlin]

I haven't brought in any new java ferns. They all stem from the original plant. The funny thing is, about 4 weeks ago it was glorious and bushy and full, now it looks like a sad excuse for a java fern. it took so long to grow it big and beautiful.

Here are some pictures ( sorry for bad quality - only have camera on my phone).







The ribosome looks okay, but the destroyed leaves aren't growing any leaflets.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Coursair]

Trim off the bad leaves. Leave any green ones. Make sure it's not completely shaded out.


Smoke signals from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SNorlin]

Thanks, I was thinking of moving it to another place where it might get more light. It looks shaded.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[SNorlin]

Okay, so I had a moment today so I picked out the java fern. Just horrified to find out I only have 4 leaves left. I removed all the dead leaves and replanted it in a different area if the tank. To be honest, even when it was going well I wanted to move it, so I guess in the end it worked out. If it doesn't start coming back, I'll just go get some more. This was the first aquarium plant I got and it was just an extra floaty thing in a bag with my first fish. Below is what the leaves looked like ( the ones I removed). There was also a lot of black slimey stuff that I think used to be leaves.





Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[pittbully13]

I had to take mine out because they started doing the same. First they started off great...big and bushy...then all of a sudden it started dying off. I cut the dead off but it never came back the same. Finally just got fed up and gave up.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Mine did the same only when I introduced more java fern that was on clearance at petsmart, which looked half rotten (hence clearance). Knowing that java fern is fairly resilient and very low light tolerant, I figured it was a good buy and it would bounce back. To make a long story short, that clearance plant died and my perfectly healthy older java ferns started to follow suit, as if they caught some plant disease. Not saying this is what yours have, but I found it quite odd and unexplained. When I researched it a bit, I found others with similar experiences. Because otherwise, java fern are built like tanks in the context of aquatic flora.

 

[SNorlin]

Yeah, I was thinking, only I can kill the most resilient easiest care plant that exists in aquariums. Getting quite the complex. thanks for the help, I will post more in a few weeks when I have given it a couple of weeks to do its thing.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[PerfectDepth]

I had the same thing happen recently after using melafix, which I assumed was the cause. I'm not sure. I removed almost all the leaves, and they seem to be slowly recovering. The same thing also happened earlier when I first added a java fern to that tank.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice