# is my java fern dying?



## pairenoid (May 20, 2011)

when i first got it, it had some brown spots on it but didnt seem that bad

right now a few of the leaves have a brown fuzzy thing growing at the tip which i googled is the baby plant

the plants r getting more brown, when i look at aquariums on youtube they are beautiful green but mine is not like that :< i got new flourescent lights to help but dont know if its helping

i recently moved my java fern because i didnt like its position, and noticed alot more leaves had those brown fuzz, and 2 leaves broke off (with the fuzz attached)
does this mean they are dead? can i re position them into the soil part of my java fern? one of em looked like it was decayed so i tok it out

another one had a brown leave but a healthy looking brown fuzzy part at the end

this entire leaf was seperate after i moved my plant but i just poked it back into the central java fern spot and put some gravel to make it not move will it be ok?

how long for those fuz to become leaves

i want healthy green leaves, im tempted to just take it all out and buy a new one

also my hornworts has been growing like crazy but the bottom to mid section is light green while the top is nice and healthy green, why? what can i do to help these plants gain a lush green

also if i had more plants (10 gallon) what would you suggest?


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

Hello pair...From your post, it reads like your Java fern is simply reproducing. The original or mother plant will continue to turn brown and die as the plantlets grow. When the plantlets are a couple of inches long, I remove them in groups of three or four leaves and attach them to pieces of lava rock with some black sewing thread. 

Your Hornwort can be planted in the gravel or floated. I suggest using a sharp pair of scissors and cutting off the healthy parts of the plant and replanting them in the gravel or let it float on the surface of the tank. This can help stimulate new growth in the original plant.

If you're not dosing a liquid fertilizer, now may be the time to research this.

B


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## Kehy (Apr 19, 2011)

Hmm, I think I might have a similar problem. I have a java fern that has a lot of brown spots, and even a couple of larger patches of brown on some leaves. It's got tons of small leaves about 2", but when I got it, it was about 4-5" tall, I gradually removed leaves as they stopped looking healthy. Now it seems to have simply stopped growing tall and is just getting bushy. It's got a few plantlets, but mostly it just seems to be doing nothing. All the other plants in my tank seem to be thriving though. What's up with that?


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## pairenoid (May 20, 2011)

i dont think my plants have grown even 1 mm

they certainly got more brown but i notice that alot of leaves had hidden brown fuzz, i regret moving it

but well see, i like its new location at least my hortnwortrs however i have one floating around just to see how it grows like that lol and the rooted part is not so pretty but i want to keep it in there for chemical sakes


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

BBradbury said:


> When the plantlets are a couple of inches long, I remove them in groups of three or four leaves and attach them to pieces of lava rock with some black sewing thread. B


I know the black dots are reproductive organs on the plant, (I googled it), and I'm assuming baby plants will look like just smaller leaves right?

So.... will the "smaller leaves" grow roots so I can take them off the mother plant? If not, do I just tie the bottom of the leaves onto my lava rock? (Will the mother plant die or just keep making babies?) Thanks!


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Are the javas buried in the substrate?If so then you need to pull them up some where the rhizome can get water movement and light.Also,if the java was grown in a lower light setup and you have a higher light,then part of the plant may burn,but it will indeed have plantlets offshoot from the spores in the leaves.I have a pic of a plantlet circled thats about ready to free float:


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## BBradbury (Apr 22, 2011)

holly12 said:


> I know the black dots are reproductive organs on the plant, (I googled it), and I'm assuming baby plants will look like just smaller leaves right?
> 
> So.... will the "smaller leaves" grow roots so I can take them off the mother plant? If not, do I just tie the bottom of the leaves onto my lava rock? (Will the mother plant die or just keep making babies?) Thanks!


Good morning Holly...

The plantlets do grow dark roots. Just use a sharp bladed scissors and clip off the new plant. Clipping off a bit of the original plant is fine if it gives you more to attach to the lava rock. 

B


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

pairenoid said:


> i dont think my plants have grown even 1 mm
> 
> they certainly got more brown but i notice that alot of leaves had hidden brown fuzz, i regret moving it
> 
> but well see, i like its new location at least my hortnwortrs however i have one floating around just to see how it grows like that lol and the rooted part is not so pretty but i want to keep it in there for chemical sakes


Do you know what type of light bulb you have in your fixture? If not a plant bulb, you may need to get one to help with growth.


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## pairenoid (May 20, 2011)

all i know is its flourescent from walmart in the aquarium department, looks a LOT better than the factory lights 

i would like better ones because ive seen some pics here and it makes the water look crystal clear but mine is just brighter than yellow


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

So you have a strip light?If so go to the lighting dept of walmart and look for a natural daylight bulb instead of the plant and aquarium bulb.I finally upgraded to a real light,and if you ever have the cash I suggest you do so as well.I see crazy new growth daily.


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