My java fern has black spots

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Creepy the Crayfish

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My java fern has black spots over the top of its leaves and I don't know why. Does anybody know what causes this or how to prevent it?
 
Picture? Black spots underneath the leaves are usually seeds but not on top. Do you use any fertilizers?
 
Yes I do use fertilizers but i cannot get a picture right now. I use seachem flourish, iron, and c02.
 
Well I wouldn’t think it’s a nutrient deficiency or co2 lack then. Java ferns are pretty low need plants. The next things I would think is maybe burns from too much intense light or rot from a dying rhizome. Do you have it in substrate or tied to decor/wood?
 
It is tied to a piece of drift wood and gets 8 hours of light but there is only one light bulb and is very low watt and it has duck weed over the surface, however it does get indirect sunlight from a window.
 
Well I’m out of ideas. :( If/when you can get a picture posted that may help determine what’s going on.
 
This is what it looks like on 1 leaf I have another java fern that was taken from the one in the pictures rihzome that had the black spots so bad I had to cut it off.
 

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I would stop the iron additive. If the "Flourish" is Flourish Comprehensive Supplement for the Planted Aquarium (to give it its full name), there is sufficient iron in this to supply any planted tank. Iron excess can cause problems, either as excess directly (black spots indicate this), or by causing plants to shut down assimilation of certain other nutrients.

This is a shade plant as already noted, so light is probably not a problem for it. The CO2 might be though...what is this, diffused CO2 or something like Excel?
 
Alright I'll stop dosing iron don't know if it matters but i only dose about once a week also I was wondering if it could be a macronutrient deficiency my tank doesn't have many fish and the snails eat any excess food plus I do 50% water changes once every 2 weeks. Would this affect it in any way?
 
Alright I'll stop dosing iron don't know if it matters but i only dose about once a week also I was wondering if it could be a macronutrient deficiency my tank doesn't have many fish and the snails eat any excess food plus I do 50% water changes once every 2 weeks. Would this affect it in any way?

It only takes one dose a week, or even less if you are using the Flourish Comprehensive, to provide too much iron. Some plants can store certain nutrients, and iron is one of these. Java Fern is a slow-growing plant and that means it needs less light intensity and fewer nutrients, so excess of either can cause problems. A good cover of floating plants can usually solve any light issues for this plant, but too much fertilizer is something else than has to be controlled. All that iron is not good for any fish either.

Water changes would help something like this because they dilute the fertilizers, but of course you are adding them back again. But do a 50% water change once every week, this is much better for the fish and the plants. And it can help thwart algae.

Re the macronutrients, Flourish Comprehensive is a supplement for these, but what is your GH?

And you didn't answer my question about the CO2...what is it?
 
Sorry about that, I use flourish excel its liquid. Also my gh is 75 or on the little bottle it says soft.
 
Sorry about that, I use flourish excel its liquid. Also my gh is 75 or on the little bottle it says soft.

On the GH, that's fine. I assume this is measured as ppm so 75 ppm equates to 4 dGH and that is sufficient for plants with respect to calcium and magnesium so there is no issue there if you continue the Flourish Comprehensive. In crease your water changes to once each week as this replenishes these minerals too.

Now on the Excel, once there are fish in this tank do not use this product. It is glutaraldehyde (and water) and this is a powerful disinfectant so intense it is used in hospitals to sterilize surgical instruments, in embalming fluid, anitfreeze...this does not belong in an aquarium where it will get inside the fish. They won't die (unless you overdose in which case this will kill all plants, fish and bacteria, it is strong) but they will be weakened. Some plants, esp Vallisneria and some mosses, will die even with the recommended dose on the bottle.

You really don't need it anyway, as there will be sufficient CO2 from the organics decomposing in the substrate.
 
On the GH, that's fine. I assume this is measured as ppm so 75 ppm equates to 4 dGH and that is sufficient for plants with respect to calcium and magnesium so there is no issue there if you continue the Flourish Comprehensive. In crease your water changes to once each week as this replenishes these minerals too.

Now on the Excel, once there are fish in this tank do not use this product. It is glutaraldehyde (and water) and this is a powerful disinfectant so intense it is used in hospitals to sterilize surgical instruments, in embalming fluid, anitfreeze...this does not belong in an aquarium where it will get inside the fish. They won't die (unless you overdose in which case this will kill all plants, fish and bacteria, it is strong) but they will be weakened. Some plants, esp Vallisneria and some mosses, will die even with the recommended dose on the bottle.

You really don't need it anyway, as there will be sufficient CO2 from the organics decomposing in the substrate.
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Mine actually doesn't have any of that in it it says its ingredients are polycycloglutarcetal and water on the website it says its safe for fish. I''ve done 50% water changes once a week and stoped dosing iron for several weeks now but it doesn't seem to be helping also on the bottle of "flourish comprehensive supplelement for the planted aquarium it says that macro nutrients can be bought separately and are not provided. I don't know what wrong with it still unless plants can get diseases too.
 

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Mine actually doesn't have any of that in it it says its ingredients are polycycloglutarcetal and water on the website it says its safe for fish. I''ve done 50% water changes once a week and stoped dosing iron for several weeks now but it doesn't seem to be helping also on the bottle of "flourish comprehensive supplelement for the planted aquarium it says that macro nutrients can be bought separately and are not provided. I don't know what wrong with it still unless plants can get diseases too.

Excel is glutaraldehyde and water; Seachem give it this term as a "trade secret" but it is glutaraldehyde. As for being "safe," that depends upon how you define "safe." This stuff does negatively impact fish. I do not call this "safe." It will kill some plants, and some bacteria (it is used in hospitals for just this purpose) and nothing that does this should ever be put in a tank with fish.

As for the Flourish Comprehensive, it is true that the macros are minimal. This is because most people have some in their water (calcium, magnesium) and water changes provide this, as do fish foods. With minimal plants, especially slow growing ones like the Java Fern, you do not want more nutrients than what one dose or perhaps only half a dose of Flourish Comprehensive once weekly will provide. There is sufficient iron in FC to provide what plants need in balance with everything else.

I see algae on the glass in the photo, this is due to light and/or excess nutrients.
 

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