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Plant Melt or a Deficiency?

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jreinhart81
Post subject: Plant Melt or a Deficiency?
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:52 pm
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Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 1:56 pm
 
I bought these Java Ferns several months ago when they looked fantastic in your tanks. Since I brought them home they look as you see them below. Some leaves turned completely light brown (then dark brown). Thinking the brown leaves are dead those I trimmed and removed.

Am not sure of the cause. Does anybody know? Currently I have standard fluorescent lighting that came with the hood. Tomorrow I am installing a Finnex FugeRay Planted+ I have.

Are these plants suffering from melt? How do I fix that?

Is it a deficiency of some sort? Something I read online has me wondering if it may be a Potassium deficiency.

Should also say that I have been using Seachem Flourish. Is it safe to use Flourish Excel or other forms of Flourish in my tank (I have Cardinal Tetras, Corydoras, Malaysian Trumpet Snails, and will be getting an Apistogramma cacatuoides from you soon.

I dose about 1-1.5ml worth once a week (the suggested dosage would be just over 2ml worth 1-2 times per week).

Additionally I dose 5ml of Fluval Sea calcium (it was recommended to me to do this for my inverts) once a week to help the snails properly form their shells.

Other than this there's no ferts (I know Calcium isn't technically a fert the way I use it) that I use.

It may or may not matter but I do use Prime when I do my weekly water change plus Vita-Chem and Garlic Guard. Vita-Chem is used during water changes and when I feed frozen foods. Garlic Guard is also used when I feed frozen foods.

Many thanks in advance for the help.

Below are some photos to help identify the problem.

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jreinhart81
Post subject: Re: Plant Melt or a Deficiency?
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:53 pm
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Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 1:56 pm
 
Here are two other photos of the plants.

Thanks again. Your help has been invaluable. Just another reason why I love shopping at Uncle Ned's.

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redpaulhus
Post subject: Re: Plant Melt or a Deficiency?
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:17 pm
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Posts: 304
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 1:32 pm
Location: Randolph, MA
Contact: Website
 
Do you happen to know your kH, gH, and Nitrate levels ?

I've personally found that java fern does poorly in my super soft, lower pH tanks - but thrives in my buffered (livebearer or rift lake) tanks.

I've also found that it goes nuts in my brother's tank that he keeps shiners in for fishing -- hard water and super dirty ( water changes are non-existant) - if I give him small java ferns they have huge rhizomes and foot long leaves 9 months later.

just guessing here but I suspect you have low kH and gH - great for the fish you mentioned, not so much for java fern.

Or I could be totally completely wrong ...

_________________

Red


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jreinhart81
Post subject: Re: Plant Melt or a Deficiency?
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 1:29 pm
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Posts: 13
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 1:56 pm
 
redpaulhus wrote:
Do you happen to know your kH, gH, and Nitrate levels ?

I've personally found that java fern does poorly in my super soft, lower pH tanks - but thrives in my buffered (livebearer or rift lake) tanks.

I've also found that it goes nuts in my brother's tank that he keeps shiners in for fishing -- hard water and super dirty ( water changes are non-existant) - if I give him small java ferns they have huge rhizomes and foot long leaves 9 months later.

just guessing here but I suspect you have low kH and gH - great for the fish you mentioned, not so much for java fern.

Or I could be totally completely wrong ...
Unfortunately I don't know the kH and gH of my tank. I have a test strip test (I normally use the API Master Kit) that claims to test the kH. Without verifying my notes at home I can say that my pH is in the mid to upper 6's like 6.6 or 6.8. Always thought I had hard water in Norwood with all the minerals. Could be that I have softer water.


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