# Java fern "melt," "brown blotch," etc



## lampeye (Oct 29, 2007)

I'm beginning to see large, brown/grey/black blotches on some Java fern fronds in my tank. This eventually spreads to destroy the entire leaf. So far, it's not rampant, but I want to stop it before it gets that way.

About 2 wpg cf, plenty of current, decent fish pop. Supplementing with Excel and iron. Leaves in brighter part of tank definitely a bit yellowed - either iron or N deficeincy? 

I've seen this problem mentioned many times over the years - is there some consensus as to the cause? My gut is that this is some effect of a long-term deficiency, maybe also the Excel? Never had trouble with J-fern before...

HELP! and thanks.


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## vangel34 (Sep 17, 2009)

Excel has never bothered my java ferns so I don't think that has anything to do with the problem. 

You only mentioned dosing with excel and iron...Do you dose any other ferts? You definitely need to dose with macros and micros. 

How often are you dosing with iron?


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## MoonFish (Feb 12, 2006)

If I remember right, if you get to zero N, the java ferns will let the big leaves die and start new little leaves and try to propogate. Help! We're out of nutrients! You can also cut down on it by cutting down the light.


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## lampeye (Oct 29, 2007)

There have been a lot of changes before/during the time I noticed this problem. No, I'm not dosing any N or K. I do throw in a tespoon of epsom salt in a couple of times per week. I have, as I mentioned, a pretty decent fish pop in the tank. The filtration is almost non-existent ( a sponge filter with a slow trickle) - Mostly I'm relying on water changes and the powerhead/plants/Excel. Growth is good with the other plants (spatterdocks, tiger lotus, crypts bal. and petchii). There was a bleheri sword, and its leaves were paler than I'd have liked to see, but I didn't see this problem then.

Things to consider: 
1)Just because I didn't notice this before doesn't mean it wasn't there before. 

2)It's not looking like a wipe-out, just an aesthetic disappointment. My clump of j-fern "Windelov" seems to have quite a few fronds showing this, but it also has quite a few healthy fronds. I see it only rarely on my "needle-leaf." My (new, from another hobbyist) "Undulata" fern has lost a few leaves to this problem, and was the first plant I noticed showing it. Small clumps of both "narrow-leaf" and "trident", growing in a darker part of the tank have yet to show any signs (lending weight to the nutritional deficiency theory)

3)Again, I first noticed this on the new "undulata." The "pathogen theory" just doesn't ring true with me - we'd see it more often, and I would think we'd see it more with plants grown under really dismal conditions. But the only problems you see with j-fern that is barely clinging to life is the usual black pinhole marks, the leaf skeletonizing over time, and never these translucent brown or gray patches. 

3)I had a hair algae nightmare a few weeks ago, and dosed with AlgaeFix. Never had any problems with that before with j-fern or any other plant, except for some mosses responding badly to prolonged treatment. Suesswassertang doesn't like repeated doses either. But what I'm getting at is that some of the plants that have this problem were COVERED with hair and disc algae. But, the undulata was not. 

4)I don't know if I buy the idea of an Fe OD, but I did start adding Flourish Fe (and Leaf Zone, when I ran out) a few times a week when I saw the new j-fern growth was tending to be very pale. 

I don't know...looking at what I'm writing...it's like going to shrink: As I see what I'm saying, I'm kind of going "Ohhhhhhh, I ssee what I did, there...."  It's like "nitrogen deficiency" is lunging out at my face. The water changes, the algae prob...

I just didn't think that maybe I was stepping into high-tech territory by adding some Excel. I mean, come on, it's Java fern!


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## MoonFish (Feb 12, 2006)

Yeah it's kinda like you're neglecting basic food for the plant. You're adding some micros and K? The salt? You're adding a ton of that but leaving out the major food group.


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