Java fern

[bamboofish]

Hi, I got some of the javafern at the auction the other. The plain leaf is doing fine, but the fancy, split leaf, is turning black very quickly and croaking. It looked healthier than the other in the first place, but not now.... What am I doing wrong???

Rich

[Laura]

Java fern is one of those plant that you don't want to plant in the substrate, but rather tie onto a piece of rock or driftwood.  I use thread, rubber bands or clear fishing line.

[RoxyDog]

ah, the mysterious blackening java fern...if you figure it out, let me know please.  every single piece of java fern in my tank is turning black, it's been doing this awhile, doesn't matter where I put it.    

one thing I can say is that sometimes a change in light, say from higher light to lower light can make it die off.  it comes back again though.  hopefully this is the case with yours and it's not perma-black like mine!

[adam_ottawa]

I have some Java fern that's doing the same thing.  While I have two bunches that are thriving and nice and green, a lot of the other bunches seem to be turning brown/black - although not quite dying, just ugly.  I use liquid ferts once/twice per week, which seems to help somewhat but not totally.  I'm just keeping my fingers crossed hoping they will come back.

[Aiglos]

I have a TON of java fern and can't stop it from growing.  The lace variety I find does tend to grow slower then the regular java fern so you might be noticing it more.

Anythign I say here is just from what I have found within my own tanks. 

in the past I have had difficulty with it turning black aswell what i did to fix this was as follows:

1. Position the java fern so that it is in a moderate flow so that the nutrients can be brough to it, and fish waste ect can be pushed off keeping the leaves clean.

2. I regularily dose ferts in order to keep all my plants growing well;  I have Hygro in the tank with the java fern and I find that the faster growing plants give you a better indication that your plants need more nutrients. 

3. Change your bulbs if you are using NO flourescents. Sometimes this can help as java fern still does need light to grow. 

hope that helps

[beowulf]

Weird as I am having trouble to get mine to stop "breeding".  I have little baby java ferns floating around the tank looking for something to hitch on to all the time.

[BigDaddy]

If there isn't good water movement around the rhizome, that can sometimes be the cause.

Are we talking about the entire leaf going black, or just the underside.  The spores Java ferns produce are dark black spots on the underside, this is normal.

If the whole leaf is black, then either the rhizome doesn't have enough flow (because its buried in the substrate or something like rockwool is obstructing it) or there isn't enough light or ferts.  Lastly, it could just be transplant shock.  Trim of the black leaves but leave the rhizome in place... it should put out new leaves