# Issue with browning on java ferns



## Hunterthow (Jun 24, 2014)

Hi all,

Ive had an issue that has been getting worse over the last 3 months in regards to browning of the bigger leaves of my java ferns.

Ive attached some pictures of what it looks like.




Here is my measurements as well as what Im using for my plants.

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 7ppm
PH: 7.0

Im using 1 x 20w T8 Aqua-GLO fluorescent bulb rated at 555Lumen and 18k K(This info is taken from the LFS website as I cant see the info on the bulb itself beyond the 20w T8 but 18k K seems quite high...)

I also dose some plant supplement called Flourish by Seachem at the recommended 4ml for my 29G during my weekly water changes of close to 50%.

What would I need to change in order to help my java ferns stay healthy?

I have had those ferns for close to 8 months with no issues and they have actually spawned MANY smaller sprouts that Ive relocated to other pieces of driftwood and decorations.
I also have some anubias as well as Vallisneria spiralis which grow very well and appear healthy forcing me to prune/trim them frenquently.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You might want to look at a better light. A good T5HO fluorescent fixture won't cost you more than $50, and is available from PetsMart or PetCo, also online. Also, try and avoid burying the rhizome (the root thingy), that will kill the plant slowly. And lastly, what is your water change schedule? Plants like fresh water just as much as fish do.


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## Fishtail76 (Oct 17, 2013)

If you don't want to buy a new lighting system, you might want to try replacing that bulb. I did a quick google search and looks like that bulb is rated at 18000k, for proper plant growth you should have a bulb somewhere near 6500k. Java ferns are low light plants so you should be ok if your using the correct bulb spectrum.


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## Hunterthow (Jun 24, 2014)

To answer some questions:

I do a water change of about 40% every 6-8 days and the rhizomes are not buried although it soft of looks like in on the picture. They are simply tied to the wood with some thin fishing line.

One piece of information I forgot to mention was that my lighting schedule is about 4.5 hours per day which might not be enough.

I'm sort of worried about increasing it to 6-7 hours a day as I feel like the leaves sort of seem burnt.
Is that a possibility considering that my light is 18,000 K?

I'll probably look into getting a light in 6500K range.

Should I actually increase the light schedule by an extra 2 hours per day with the new light spectrum bulb?


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## chenowethpm (Jan 8, 2014)

I would start with 6 or 7 hours a day and increase from there if no problems. 8 hours is usuAlly the max people get to and lots of times end up with algae. My lights are on 7 hours a day. You can also have a break in between, like 3.5 hours on, 2 hours off, then 3.5 hours on again.


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## Fishtail76 (Oct 17, 2013)

I agree with chenowethpm, you can slowly increase the duration that the light is on up to 8 or even 9 hours. If you start having algae problems, just back off. You didn't mention how deep your tank is and how old the light bulb is. It is recommended to replace bulbs once a year. 18000k has nothing to do with light intensity, it is the rating of the color spectrum. Your plants may do just fine with this bulb.


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## Hunterthow (Jun 24, 2014)

My aquarium is 29G is 18" in depth.

My tube is about 11 months old so based on the common opinion, I should most likely look into a new tube no matter what I do.


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## kalyke (Nov 19, 2014)

You also need to look and see if it is just natural leaf attrition. I've never seen a plant that did not have old leaves die and young leaves grow. They are not plastic. They have a programmed cellular death timeline like all living creatures. Now, if the entire plant died at the same time, I would say you have a problem.


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