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A couple of months ago I added two small java ferns to an established 20 gallon freshwater tank. I'm using a gravel substrate, a standard light sold with tank kits (left on 12 hours a day), and no fertilizer. I read online that these plants should not have roots planted in the gravel so I used twist ties to attach the ferns to some large rocks.

Brown spots have formed on the tips and edges of these plants. Any suggestions as to what I might try to get rid of these spots? Am I providing too much light, not enought, etc.?

Try adding some liquid fertilizer. As these plants get their nutrition from the water column and not the substrate. Also, the dark spots usually indicate a lack in iron. The liquid fertilizer will help. But, the black spots will not just go away, they are damage that is not repaired. After you have new growth, you may want to remove those leaves, but not until new growth has come. As for you lighting, Java Fern will do fine under NO fluorescent lighting that comes with the tanks. If you have an incandescent bulb (the screw in type), it will not do as well. And I would suggest you get a screw in type fluorescent bulb.

HTH.....

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