# Browning Microsorum



## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Is it low P?

My tank has every plant thriving... except Microsorum windelov. It took off and and exploded when I was neglecting my tank a bit; but now not so much. Did a trim, added more fish, started dosing with more discipline and... brown, dead leaves on the Microsorum. Mostly on old growth and medium-aged leaves.

I dose Seachem N, Comprehensive and K. 1ml /10 Gal of each 3x per week for N and 2x week the others. All the other plants are doing great.

Water is soft but don't know the actual hardnesses (Vancouver tap water... comes from glaciers and natural reservoirs and all that jazz) . Also don't know any other concentration; but light is dual T5HO, on for about 9hrs a day (+ tank gets a little sunlight) on an ada 60p. Tank has Aquasoil and pressured CO2.

Is it low N, P or K??

Thanks!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi f1ea,

You probably have soft water in Vancouver like we have in Seattle?

I had a similar problem with my java ferns ('Trident' and 'Windelov'). The plants would grow fine for a while then over a period of a few weeks holes would develop with some areas of the leaves turning brown / paper thin - almost melting (see photo). The rhizomes would remain green and healthy and after I trimmed off the affected leaves within a couple of weeks a new flush of leaves would start to appear.

I first tried increasing potassium (K) but there was no change or improvement. After a couple of years I think I have determined my problem and a remedy; I have had little to no 'melt' in the last 12 months. My water here in Seattle is extremely soft. In the last year I have increased the amount of DIY Equilibrium I add during water changes along with some extra calcium (CaCl2+2H2O), magnesium (MgSO4+7H2O), and CSM+B during the week.

Here is the problem I was dealing with.


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

ha! yes. That's exactly what my leaves are getting. The plant is growing and appears healthy... nice new green growth, new planties everywhere; but after a while the leaves start turning brown. I also thought it was lack of K and increased dosing. But no change.

Water is very soft here. It's actually great water... maybe a bit too good hehehe

I figured it's a nutrient deficiency since it wasn't happening when the Microsorum was shaded by over grown stem plants. But after trimming, it's getting hit with a lot more light and started burning instead. Kinda thought it was low P as it is the only thing I don't dose.......

Also, this never happened to me before, but we had hard water where I used to live.

Thanks!


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Wow. Went to my planted tank shop and our Vancouver tap water is actually about 0d GH and KH. So extremely soft.

Got Seachem Alkaline buffer and Equilibrium... will bring them up to about 3-4 degrees and that should do it.

In cleaning up the microsorum found like 6 little new perfectly healthy plantlets hidding away in the shade. Put a couple of them where the browned leaves were and hopefully they'll grow and take the space.

Thanks again Seattle!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi f1ea,

No problems; keep us posted on how things go!


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