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Java fern meting..

Luciën

Member
Joined
20 Jul 2018
Messages
668
Location
Netherlands
Okay I have this javafern melting time after time I cut all the leaves they regrow and melt again.. I have the issue only in this tank.. Someone who knows what it is? Co2 looks good.. My fert dosage is around half EI weekly..
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Hi When Java fern gets to thick it can block water/co2 flow from its self causing it to melt I’ve had this happen when I don’t trim for a long time.
 
I'm certainly no plant expert but have had a basis 100 litre running for almost 5 years and the java fern in there is the same plant I added originally not long after I bought the tank. During that time I've had similar happen and was scratching my head but I then upped the fert dosing and it resolved the issue. In my case I put it down to adding some frogbit which grew incredibly for a while before then stalling, so I'm guessing this used up the bulk of the nutrients. I also need to admit that back then my fert dosing wasn't as frequent as it should have been nor my water changes

Up the ferts, give it a couple or 3 weeks and see how it looks. I'd take a photo now so you can compare as it will start to change but day on day the difference may not be so noticeable to the eye. Don't be confused by the new growth right now but then contined die back, I guess that's the plants survival mechanism
 
Sounds like you're in a similar place to where I was. If you can up the water changes. It certainly made a difference for me (along with the increased ferts)
 
Hi all,
During that time I've had similar happen and was scratching my head but I then upped the fert dosing and it resolved the issue. In my case I put it down to adding some frogbit
I've definitely found that Java Fern does better with slightly higher levels of fertilisers, and harder water. I run my tanks <"very lean"> and leaf size and vigour had definitely dwindled over time. Since I've been adding a small amount of <"Miracle Gro">, they have perked up noticeably.
Here is what I dose weekly..
Do you dose any magnesium (Mg)? We are unlikely to have much in <"N. European tap water"> for geological reasons.
Yes but I have it in the lower regions the stay submerged also.
I wondered because it looks a bit like it might have been "leaf burn", either from drying or coming into contact with undissolved salts.

cheers Darrel
 
Do you dose any magnesium (Mg)? We are unlikely to have much in <"N. European tap water"> for geological reasons.

I think you might be right, I don't dose Mg. My tank downstairs has weekly water changes and doesn't suffer from this melt. I think the less frequent water changes create the problem that it runs out of Mg as my tap water is pretty soft?
Now I need to get some epsom salt to try it out...
 
Hi all,
I think the less frequent water changes create the problem that it runs out of Mg as my tap water is pretty soft?
Yes, soft water is likely to have less magnesium (Mg) than harder water, but it will also have less calcium (Ca) and a high Ca:Mg ratio can cause problems even when you have "enough" magnesium. Some American EI recipes don't include magnesium <"because of geological differences">.

Despite the present political climate the UK is very much part of Europe geologically.

F1.large.jpg


It will be pretty interesting to see what happens, my money is on a rapid improvement with added magnesium (Mg).

cheers Darrel
 
Hi all,
Here is my water report it is indeed really low in Mg.. What is the correct ratio for Ca:Mg? I read on aquasabi that 2:1 is good..
That sounds reasonable. I'm not sure the Ca++:Mg++ ratio is that important until you get to larger numbers.
On that map I live in a white area and the water source also.
If you had water from a chalk aquifer it would have a bit more magnesium and a huge amount more calcium. Have a look at <"Magnesium in tap water">.

I'd try adding 5 ppm Mg for starters, you can use "Epsom Salts" (magnesium sulphate heptahydrate - MgSO4.7H2O). They are ~10% magnesium, so the back of an envelope calculation means 5g in 100 litres. Ten grams in 100 litres would be 10 ppm etc.

<"Rotala butterfly"> lists MSO4.7H2O as an option if you want to try different levels.

cheers Darrel
 
Ordered 5kg Magnesium sulfate. My wife went trough all shops in the area looking for Epsom Salts but everywhere it was sold out or taken out of the assortment. In my search online I found a supplier that could deliver buckets of KNO3, KH2PO4 and K2SO4 relative cheap. Only no micro traces cocktails..

I'd try adding 5 ppm Mg for starters, you can use "Epsom Salts" (magnesium sulphate heptahydrate - MgSO4.7H2O). They are ~10% magnesium, so the back of an envelope calculation means 5g in 100 litres. Ten grams in 100 litres would be 10 ppm etc.

<"Rotala butterfly"> lists MSO4.7H2O as an option if you want to try different levels.
Yes I allways use Rotala butterfly :)
I start dosing 1tsp that would give around 5ppm the tank is +-100L ..
Going to try it on my bigger tank think it would benefit from it also..
 
Hi all,
I start dosing 1tsp that would give around 5ppm the tank is +-100L .
It will be interesting to see what happens, it will take a while for the Java fern to respond (just because it is a slow grower). Other plants may show a rapid greening, if they were magnesium deficient.
n my search online I found a supplier that could deliver buckets of KNO3, KH2PO4 and K2SO4 relative cheap.
If you don't mind mixing your own fertiliser buying in bulk is by far the cheapest option in the long run.

I must admit I always do a double-take when I look at the <"price of proprietary ready mixed ferts">.

cheers Darrel
 
Ordered 5kg Magnesium sulfate. My wife went trough all shops in the area looking for Epsom Salts but everywhere it was sold out or taken out of the assortment. In my search online I found a supplier that could deliver buckets of KNO3, KH2PO4 and K2SO4 relative cheap. Only no micro traces cocktails..


Yes I allways use Rotala butterfly :)
I start dosing 1tsp that would give around 5ppm the tank is +-100L ..
Going to try it on my bigger tank think it would benefit from it also..
How did it work out in the end with the java fern?
 
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