Windlov ferns browning

[k3nlim]

My windlov ferns which are tied to a coconut husk is browning in some leaves and it seems to affect the others leaves.

Is it a disease or just leaves that are old and dying? Will dosing flourish and K helps?

[Verminator]

My java fern has the same thing. I have moderate lighting (fine for plant) and i dose ferts. Yet i still have this issue.

Someone from this forum told me its to do with the water flow around the plant. Perhaps if you place directly in the flow, or around a stronger flowing part of the tank growth will increase and this browning will dissapear. I'd try it myself, but i havnt been able to shift my tank around to try this out yet.

Perhaps you could try and tell me how it goes

[k3nlim]

it was browning even when placed very near to the inlet pipe and directly underneath the rain bar previously...

my friend that have windlov ferns have new plantets growing even thought its not near the outlet

[Verminator]

Then i'm stumped. I'm out of ideas.

What lighting do you use? I read somewhere that Microsorum species in general can brown if lighting is to strong and 'burn' marks appear along the leaves, sometimes going transparent of actually leaving a hole. In my case they brown, go black or leave a hole in my leaves. This is despite them being in my 3ft tank with 2x30W T8's. Surely moderate lighting no? Yet in my edition of Tropica and pretty much all other sites on the internet they say they require very low-high lighting.

I'm just as confused as you are mate

[k3nlim]

I'm using 2X24wT5HO..on for only 8-9hours. For my case,the whole leaf started to brown and slowly die off.

[Verminator]

Ok, so i've just took these to show you mine, to see how they compare to yours.

Picture 1
This is one of the 'currently' healthy leaves. My guess is it'll be like this for maybe a week roughly then it'll start to turn like picture 2.


Picture 2
This shows a leaf that is probably about a month old now, maybe couple of months (not sure). Anyway, as you can see clearly by the colour of my fingers behind the leaf its half dead and has holes all down its structure. Inbetween this leaf and picture 1 leaf there are two other leaves, which gradually as you get closer to the lead from picture one looks a little healthier. And vice versa, going to the leaves before this picture it gets gradually worse untill you hit bare rhyzome where i've snipped them off.


Picture 3
This is just a comparison of the two side by side. You may or may not be able to make out the two leaves under the water surface inbetween these two. For about year now this is how my Java Fern has grown. Other Microsorum's i have tried to grow end up the same way. So i guess its similar to the issue with your Windelovs?


I've been told nutrient defiency (most likely), where its placed in the water flow (likes moving water) and a few other ideas such as damaged rhyzome (ect ect) but i've had no luck making it grow better. So i guess if anyone knows anything please let us both know how to grow our ferns

How does your scenario compare K3nlim? (btw, not hijacking thread )

EDIT: sorry for blurrrr, crappy phone camera.

[k3nlim]

Mine just turn dark brown either from the tip or the bottom of the leaves. And the whole leaf will turn dark brown and die off in a week or two. And soon,other leaves around that particular dead leaf will shown the same signs. This even affects new leaves thus the concerns.

Guess my situation is not as bad as yours as the leaves are still nice and solid green and not showing any signs of holes and stuff.Your leaves seems to be abit light in colour compared to mine's. But all the trimming have left some bald patches and soon the whole plant will be gone

i'm hoping that i'm not having a diseased plant

[Verminator]

Hmmm. Perhaps someone else can advise something then. I personally am at a loss with my Java Fern now. Its been three years and i'm about ready to scrap it and just grow Anubias on my wood permanently.

[k3nlim]

Went searching through the net and found some info about plants turning browning (even with Windelov)

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=38483

Seems like AQ have got lots of answer around

[Verminator]

Hmmm. Nutrient defeciency that points to again

I may go out and buy the complete Seachem Flourish set and start up a dosing regime again. Was dosing twice weekly, for about a month...but nothing was improving then stopped. I guess more patience is required. Personally still thinking of scrapping my Java Ferns. 3 years of failure with them. May just get some larger Echinodorus to fill out the gaps around the wood (alternate to ferns on wood) and dose ferts to keep them looking spritely.

Do you think its a similar case in yours? lack of nutrients? Seems to be a lack of K when you narrow it down.

[k3nlim]

that's what i thought so too..the situation improves slightly with dosing of flourish..I have just started dosing a week ago.
I'm looking at improving the situation further with addition of K