ricktavious

I have three java ferns in a cycled, 10-gallon tank with one betta. There is around 8 hours of light on per day in the tank. There is brown algae growing on the sides of the tank. What could be causing the java ferns to not do well? Probably something I'm not considering, any of you guys have an idea?

Gargoyle

Java Ferns are slow growers for the most part. What kind of light are you using? With only one Betta your bio load is very minimal so the plants may be starving a little and need some sort of food to help them grow. When plants grow they naturally remove toxins from the water and inhibit algae growth so making them happy will make you and your fish happy.

What kind of light do you have? What is the wattage?

ricktavious

Hey Gargoyle, honestly, not too sure the wattage of the bulbs...I think they are 20 W lights. Both are florescent bulbs bought from Walmart. The thing that I don't really understand at this point is why would the java ferns die while algae grows. Thanks for the response.

Jim

OK, i hope this helps. Java ferns aren't real bright light plants, so thats probably OK. But I can't grow them at all in my tank, and I have amazing plants:

My problem is my tank is VERY soft, with a slightly lower pH (around 6.0-6.5), and it turns out Java ferns like the water a bit on the hard side and a neutral to higher pH (7.0-7.5)

Also, are your ferns attached to a seasoned piece of driftwood or rock? This is how they grow, by attaching their ryzome (the little brown root bulb looking thing) to a piece of wood or rock. If you plant that part underground (undergravel??) it will eventually die.

Gargoyle

What Jim said...

Plus algae grows no matter what... Algae is like the ultimate extreme survivor!

ricktavious

Cool, thanks for the info guys.....one of the plants I've anchored down, but not too sure what to do on one of the others. I don't have any way to get it to stay down right now, other than tuck it under a rock (and therefore kill it). I'll try to come up with something. Also, is it too late for the javas to make a recovery?

That tank you have looks amazing!!

Jim

If your Javas aren't totally dead then they may recover. As for fastining them down, most people use either cotten thread or monofilliment fishing line (my preference.) After a couple 3 weeks the Java should be rooted and you can go in and carefully remove the line.

Gargoyle

Once Java roots... It's rooted.. Thats a good thing at least..

ricktavious

The only way I could get them down for now was to gently tie a rock around them. Not too sure how "optimal" that would be, but for now it's the best I could do. Hopefully that will do the trick for now. Thanks for all the tips guys! I guess one reason the ones in my other plants are doing better is that they are not tucked under anything (they are not rooted, but do just fine and all of them have had new sprouts come out since bringing them home).

Barbrella

I just take a skinny elastic band and wrap it around whatever I want to attach the java ferns to. I stick the root end under the elastic, then when the plant catches on, I cut the elastic.

ricktavious

Barbrella, that is what I have done in this tank....plus I thought that otherwise I could damage the roots