Problem with Java Fern

[Jeff_F]

I'm having an issue with my Java Fern.....I've attached some pictures.  There is an overview picture of my tank and then some closeups of the java fern looking down on it.  What is causing all the brown spots?  I don't see pinholes so probably not potassium.  I looked at the nutrient charts but the leaves are not really turning yellow so I'm not sure what is going on.  Any ideas?  My water parameters are:
temperature - 77.5
Calcium - 40 
GH - 7
KH - 3
Nitrate - 30
ph - 6.6 (at 3 hours after turning on co2)
Phosphate - 1.81
TDS - 193
Iron - 0.2

[MattyM]

Is this new java fern? I noticed with mine, some of it melted when I first got it, but then produced new shoots that did just fine. 

[Jeff_F]

no, this java fern is probably about a year old.

[Whitecloud09]

What is your dosing schedule of fertilizer besides co2? This is most likely not the issue but I am wondering about that….also is your Java fern planted in substrate or attached @Jeff_F

[Jeff_F]

On 3/12/2024 at 2:06 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

What is your dosing schedule of fertilizer besides co2? This is most likely not the issue but I am wondering about that….also is your Java fern planted in substrate or attached @Jeff_F

I have pretty bad water so I am on a well with water softener so I have an RO unit and make my own RO water.  The tank is a 29 gallon tank and I do a 50% water change once a week.  I use 2hr Aquarist APT Sky (4g) and Seachem Alkaline Buffer (1.5g) into the new RO water during the water change.   I was using 2hr Aquarist APT Complete 3 fertilizer but switched to Easy Green about a month or so ago.  I use one squirt of Easy Green daily.  I see much better growth with Easy Green. 

[cmo1922]

Hello! My ferns will grow well initially when I start up my tanks, but then they start to develop brown spots like yours. I attribute this to other faster/more aggressive growers outcompeting them for nutrients. But yours certainly look much more lush than mine! 

Everyone says java fern issues are due to lack of potassium. But I have tried to supplement extra K, to no avail! But it won't hurt to try and supplement more potassium and see if that helps!

From what I've read, the brown spots can be seen when the fern doesn't get enough CO2, either from general lack of it in the tank (no injection or other plants outcompeting) or poor CO2 distribution if you are injecting. I am no expert at CO2 use, but that is what my conclusion is in my tanks. They are supposed to be low tech, but mine always struggle in my low tech tanks despite everything else looking pretty good! 

 

Edited March 12 by cmo1922

[johnnyxxl]

Mine needed iron before when I kept them in NC 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

On 3/12/2024 at 12:46 PM, Jeff_F said:

I have pretty bad water so I am on a well with water softener so I have an RO unit and make my own RO water.  The tank is a 29 gallon tank and I do a 50% water change once a week.  I use 2hr Aquarist APT Sky (4g) and Seachem Alkaline Buffer (1.5g) into the new RO water during the water change.   I was using 2hr Aquarist APT Complete 3 fertilizer but switched to Easy Green about a month or so ago.  I use one squirt of Easy Green daily.  I see much better growth with Easy Green. 

Hi @Jeff_F,

Are you adding the Seachem Alkaline Buffer because the water out of your RO unit is acidic (pH<7.0) or a fish species in the tank needs alkaline conditions?

Is the water going through the water softener and the RO unit?

[Jeff_F]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:32 PM, Seattle_Aquarist said:

Hi @Jeff_F,

Are you adding the Seachem Alkaline Buffer because the water out of your RO unit is acidic (pH<7.0) or a fish species in the tank needs alkaline conditions?

Is the water going through the water softener and the RO unit?

The water is going through the water softener and then the RO unit.

I thought to use the Alkaline buffer to raise up my KH so I wouldn't have a ph crash.