AquaRank.com

FishProfiles.com Message Forums

faq | etiquette | register | my account | search | mailbox
# FishProfiles.com Message Forums
L# Freshwater Aquaria
 L# Planted Aquaria
  L# Java Fern
 Post Reply  New Topic
SubscribeJava Fern
mph684
-----
Small Fry
Posts: 6
Kudos: 5
Votes: 0
Registered: 05-May-2006
male usa
My 2 java ferns have lots of little holes all over the leaves, except on the new offshoots that grow off of it, and the leaves are almost see through. i thought java fern was an easy plant. i also have a amazon sword in the tank which seems to be doing fine, creating new shoots too. i have just above 1 watt/gallon and use plant gro fertilizer.
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 00:04Profile PM Edit Report 
LITTLE_FISH
**********
---------------
----------
***** Little Fish *****
Master of Something
Posts: 7303
Kudos: 1997
Votes: 670
Registered: 20-May-2005
male usa
Hi mph684 ,

Welcome to FP.

Hey, holes are usually a sign of a potassium deficiency. Can you describe the tank some more? Like:

- Size
- Water change routine (how much and how often)
- The fertilizer you add (name and how much and how often)
- Substrate
- Fishload and type

I guess that should do it for the beginning,

Have fun,

Ingo


Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 00:09Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
Garofoli
----------
Big Fish
Posts: 337
Kudos: 143
Votes: 27
Registered: 12-Apr-2006
male usa
Haha... Feed it a bannana...

Chris
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 01:50Profile AIM PM Edit Delete Report 
mph684
-----
Small Fry
Posts: 6
Kudos: 5
Votes: 0
Registered: 05-May-2006
male usa
-my tank is a 12 gallon eclipse bow front
-i change the water about every 2-3 weeks
-fertilzer is NUTRAFIN Plant Gro Iron Enriched (i added the amount the bottle says to, around 5mL per gal, and replace about the same amount per gallon that i remove ever water change)
-substrate is regular gravel about 1-1.5 inches thick
-fishload is 1 opaline gourami, 4 tiger barbs, 1 clown pleco

I don't quite understand the banana comment though
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 02:07Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
bensaf
 
**********
---------------
-----
Fish Master
Posts: 1978
Kudos: 1315
Registered: 08-Apr-2004
male ireland
It doesn't like high temperatures > 27-28o. Also you don't have it buried in the gravel do you ?


Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 03:44Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
Endo.Crono.Logic
-----
Fingerling
Posts: 15
Kudos: 7
Votes: 0
Registered: 01-May-2006
Whats wrong with burying it in gravel?
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 03:56Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
crusha
********
----------
Enthusiast
Fish Geek
Posts: 262
Kudos: 183
Votes: 102
Registered: 11-Nov-2005
female australia
Java fern grow from a rhizome which is better off exposed rather than buried under the substrate.

They will grow better if attached to a piece of driftwood or rock.

My java fern leaves started to deteriorate when the new plants started growing from them. Not sure if that is normal or not but there now is a lot of new growth and the original leaves seem to have just disappeared.


Those who say they cant, Never will !!!
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 10:12Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
LITTLE_FISH
**********
---------------
----------
***** Little Fish *****
Master of Something
Posts: 7303
Kudos: 1997
Votes: 670
Registered: 20-May-2005
male usa
EditedEdited by LITTLE_FISH
crusha,

Yeah, that is normal. "Mother" leaves have fulfilled their purpose when the babies are strong enough. Think about it in nature: The babies grow on these leaves, then the mother dies off and the babies float away to settle somewhere else. The natural way of spreading out over larger distances rather than crowding the spot right next to the mother plant.

Garofoli - Yeah, smart input - bananas containing potassium. Still inapropriate in the form you provided it.

Ingo


Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 11:58Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
mph684
-----
Small Fry
Posts: 6
Kudos: 5
Votes: 0
Registered: 05-May-2006
male usa
I do have the java ferns buried in the gravel, but it sounds like the its just the mother plants are dying off because they have new plants growing all over them which seem to be healthy. Should i pull the new ferns off the mother and put them somewhere else?
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 12:15Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
LITTLE_FISH
**********
---------------
----------
***** Little Fish *****
Master of Something
Posts: 7303
Kudos: 1997
Votes: 670
Registered: 20-May-2005
male usa
mph684,

Wait with the pulling until the parent leaves are starting to disintigrate or at least until you see sufficient roots growing from the babies. Then tie these to some rock or wood, or wedge then between something (like if you have a pile of rocks or a grouping of wood). And I would suggest you take the mother plant out of the substrate as the rhizome will die off eventually when not exposed to the water column. I occasionally place plants with rhizomes on top of the gravel and I bury the slimmer roots that extend from it, this seems to work as well.

Ingo


Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club
Post InfoPosted 06-May-2006 12:37Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
JTF
----------
Enthusiast
Posts: 245
Registered: 16-May-2004
male canada
Just a suggestion not related to the java fern.It would better if you do weekly wate changes instead of every 2 - 3 weeks.
Post InfoPosted 07-May-2006 01:30Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
Garofoli
----------
Big Fish
Posts: 337
Kudos: 143
Votes: 27
Registered: 12-Apr-2006
male usa
Bannana is the best way to get pottassium...

Chris
Post InfoPosted 08-May-2006 23:28Profile AIM PM Edit Delete Report 
mattyboombatty
 
**********
---------------
---------------
-----
Moderator
Tenellus Obsessor
Posts: 2790
Kudos: 1507
Votes: 1301
Registered: 26-Mar-2004
male usa us-northcarolina
Yeah....bananas....duh



Attached Image:

from http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant,%20Banana.htm




Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients
Post InfoPosted 08-May-2006 23:47Profile Homepage PM Edit Delete Report 
bensaf
 
**********
---------------
-----
Fish Master
Posts: 1978
Kudos: 1315
Registered: 08-Apr-2004
male ireland
I do have the java ferns buried in the gravel, but it sounds like the its just the mother plants are dying off because they have new plants growing all over them which seem to be healthy.


Java ferns will do this when the plant is stressed and dying. It's like a last desperate grasp at survival. Because the mother rhizoome is buried the plant is basically suffocating, it's trying to survive by producing new rhizomes above the substrate.

Un -bury the mother plant.

If you want the plant at a low level in the tank just tie arock to the bottom and let that sit on the substrate but don't bury it.


Some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.

Remember that age and treachery will always triumph over youth and ability.
Post InfoPosted 10-May-2006 06:26Profile PM Edit Delete Report 
Post Reply  New Topic
Jump to: 

The views expressed on this page are the implied opinions of their respective authors.
Under no circumstances do the comments on this page represent the opinions of the staff of FishProfiles.com.

FishProfiles.com Forums, version 11.0
Mazeguy Smilies