Help A Novice - Why Won't My Plant Grow?

[Kaida]

I'm a complete novice at plants, and definitely don't have green fingers.  I have kept fish for over a decade though and thought maybe I'd start a tiny foray into simple plants, to make my tanks look better and give the fish more hidey holes.  I'm not interested in nor do I have the expertise or money for complicated plants so I bought some Java fern.  I split the bunches between two tanks, and the bunches in my little betta tank seemed ok, though I wouldn't say thriving they're surviving.  The bunches in my main tank pretty much keeled over and died (well, not quite, but are smaller than it was when I bought it), which I thought was impossible with Java fern!
 
It's a 2ft tank, with 1.5 filters (the 1 designed for the tank + a small supplemental 1) and its residents are 1 betta, 1 L201 (currently 3") and 6 corydoras sterbai.  It's at 26 degrees C, water changes once a week, and the light is a not-as-bright-as-I'd-like-it LED.  I currently have a small issue with some sort of thread-like algae growing on the wood, which is where the Java fern is supposedly growing.  Substrate is sand.
 
Is there something cheap and simple I can do to improve things?  I remember mum having a planted community tank and she did nothing special, just bought from LFS and stuck in tank and they grew!

 

[DerpPH]

Add some excel. Java ferns also tend to lose a few leaves before growing new ones. Also they are pretty much almost impossible to kill. Just attach it to a rock or wood using string and you will be ok

 

[Kaida]

This stuff?
http/www.seachem.com/flourish-excel.php
 
Thank you for your help.

 

[Byron]

I disagree.  Excel is not going to help, and may do the opposite.  I'll explain.
 
Java Fern is a slow-growing plant.  Such plants need less light and thus less nutrients than faster-growing plants.  Adding Excel, which is a so-called liquid carbon, is not going to help because this plant does not need more carbon than what will naturally occur with fish in the tank.  Other nutrients might be sufficient as well.  [On a side note, Excel is a highly toxic chemical that can kill some plants even when used according to directions, and I don't recommend it in any situation.]
 
I would look first at the lighting.  I have had this plant die back when it is under moderate light; add some floating plants to give it more shade, and it recovered and spread.  If algae is attaching to the leaves, this is probably due to the light.  But it could also not be algae, but the beginnings of adventitious plants.  Being a true fern, the fronds (= leaves) develop daughter plants which will have black roots usually from the lower side of the leaf.
 
Some photos of the plants in both tanks will help us wort out the issues.  Also, the data on your lighting.
 
Byron.

 

[StevenF]

what are all of your water parameters for your tank water? Do you fill the tank with Tap or RO, or distirlled?  if tap water what are the tap parameters.   Please list all of the follwoing numbers.  PH, Gh, Kh, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia.  We need to know what type of water your have.
 
Also do you know the brand of light you have or can you forward us a link that shows the lamp and if possible its specifications? What chemical or fertilizers are you using?  Without know any of this we would just be making wild gureses. that said Excel is problably not going to work.

 

[Kaida]

Byron, the algae is not attaching to the leaves, it is growing on the wood.  Sorry if I was unclear.
 
StevenF, tank water parameters (I use a mix of tap water and rainwater as our tapwater here is really hard and too high pH):
pH = approx 7.2
GH = 13
KH = 4
I don't have a NO2/NO3/ammonia test kit as I get it done every so often at the LFS.  Last results a couple of months ago were fine on all of them, so I just kept up the same water change schedule.  All fish happy and healthy.
Using no fertiliser or other plant-related chemicals, as I said am a total novice!  I don't want to get heavily into planted tanks, just want some green cover for the fish.  Only chemical that I use is dechlorinator, or meds if anyone's sick but no illness for many months now.
Light is this one:  http/www.amazon.co.uk/Tingkam-Aquarium-Waterproof-fixtures-aquarium/dp/B00WG00MJ6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
 
Thank you.

 

[Byron]

I have seen those submersible lights but never used one.  Do you have this over the tank or i the tank?
 
To the algae on wood...this is natural and you will never be able to eliminate it, without destroying the tank's biology.  You just want to keep it off plants.  Algae will be present in any aquarium because there are nutrients.  The wood itself is organic and thus a good source of nutrients and algae will use this, with light present (or without sometimes).
 
A photo would help to sort out the plant problems.
 
Byron.

 

[StevenF]

A GH of 13 might be too high for Java moss.  One site I saw recommended a GH range of 5 to 8.  If possible try increasing the rain water content to see it that helps.

 

[Kaida]

I mentioned the light was not that bright, but I've just changed sand from black to pale and it's made all the difference.  So perhaps it is too much light?  If so, are there easy floating plant options?  By easy, I mean foolproof!
 
StevenF, I can maybe add more rainwater, but I'm worried about lowering the KH any further for the sake of stability for the fish.  Maybe a better approach for me to take would be to ask if there are very easy plants that would thrive in the conditions I have, if it turns out to be likely the conditions are unsuitable.
 

 

 

 

[StevenF]

 
 
StevenF, I can maybe add more rainwater, but I'm worried about lowering the KH any further for the sake of stability for the fish.

Go to Google and type in "aquarium hard water plants" or a similar phrase you probably will find something usable.  As to KH add a few decorative sea shells to your tank.  They are made of calcium and magnessium and will start to desolve if the water gets to soft.  The Calcium and magnessium will maintain Kh in the proper range without significantly increasing water hardness.  Sea shells have enough to safely maintain KH for years.  

 

[SO19Firearms]

As to KH add a few decorative sea shells to your tank.  They are made of calcium and magnessium and will start to desolve if the water gets to soft.  The Calcium and magnessium will maintain Kh in the proper range without significantly increasing water hardness.  Sea shells have enough to safely maintain KH for years.

I think you're mixing up your GH and KH's there

 

[StevenF]

 
 
I think you're mixing up your GH and KH's there 

 

No I didn't.  Adding any minerals to the water will increase GH.  Adding any carbonate to the water will affect GH.  However also adding a carbonate to the water will also affect KH.  Calcium and magnesium Carbonates however generally affect KH more so than GH.  

 

[tunagirll]

I would second the earlier suggestion to look at your lighting - chances are that the LED you are using isn't suitable for plant growth.
 
If you have a good LFS, duck in with it and have a chat with them. Be careful they don't just sell you something expensive for no reason - lighting suitable for plants doesn't need to cost $$$.
 
A good quality suitable light on for 6-7 hours, a little flourish excel in the tank, more than adequate for slow java fern growth