# Brown spots on Java Fern leaves



## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Okay, I've got some Java Fern that is getting brown/black spots on the leaves. These are NOT the reproductive spores that are normal on the undersides of the leaves. The spots are random tiny spots that gradually get larger and appear on the tops and bottoms of the leaves (both old and new). 

They appear to be dead spots, and eventually become holes or areas of very thin tissue. After a few weeks, a whole leaf will be covered and has to be removed. I don't have a camera right now so I can't take pictures, but it looks very similar to how anthracnose might look on a terrestrial grass.

I dose EI, but I double the phosphates because I've had lots of GSA in the tank. Lately I've also up'ed the trace elements.

Could this be nutrient related, or is it possible that this is a fungal disease?

Any thoughts or info are appreciated.

-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

It actually more closely resembles Black Spot disease that you would find on roses where they are top-irrigated.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplocarpon_rosae


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Sorry, still no photos.

However, I thought it might be nutrient related, so, I increased my ferts. I've been dosing the Seachem line using the Seachem Recommended Dosing Guide. I trippled my phos and switched to 1.5x on everything else except excel and iron. I believe this has corrected the issue. 

-Dave


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

I would increase you Iron too. it gets consumed faster than any other nutrient you fertilize in a planted tank so it is easy to have a inefficiency of it from what I've read i don't think low phosphates is the cooperate here sounds more like a nitrate or Trace problem.


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

I'll up my iron as well, then. It looks like the leaves are not getting spots anymore, but they are still a bit on the pale side. I'll see what happens after a week of increased iron (as well as other ferts) and post updates.

Thanks Jazz,

-Dave


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

Just wanted to update.

I switched from liquid ferts to dry. I found that even dosing 3x of the recommended liquids, I was still only getting half of what the recommended amounts of dry ferts provide (according to "Fertilator" ) . 

With the liquid fert at 3x, I was still getting some spotting/holes in the new leaves. Since switching to dry ferts I have not seen ANY spotting or holes. So, I believe this was definitely a nutrient problem.

-Dave


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

davemonkey said:


> Just wanted to update.
> 
> I switched from liquid ferts to dry. I found that even dosing 3x of the recommended liquids, I was still only getting half of what the recommended amounts of dry ferts provide (according to "Fertilator" ) .
> 
> ...


... and cheaper too!


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