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mermaidwannabe
07-21-2014, 08:12 PM
Something is eating out the solid green sections between the veins of my java fern leaves, leaving only the bare veins with open spaces where the green once was. These sections are either being eaten or are simply rotting away, leaving the veins intact.

I currently have in my 20-gallon several red cherry shrimp, some blue shrimp which have bred, a variety of snails (mostly small), and seven white cloud minnows.

When I change the water, I add Flourish Comprehensive and API root tabs containing iron but no copper.

Recently, a nearly solid sheet of duckweed has covered the surface of my tank, and I have gotten rid of most of it. This skeletal outline problem was occurring before the duckweed was ever in my tank.

This doesn't happen to all of the java fern leaves, nor does it happen constantly. It seems to happen off and on, and when it does, several leaves are affected at once. In between these bouts, I have nice, green, full and healthy leaves for extended periods of time.

What could be causing this? Lighting too low, perhaps? What nutrients could be lacking? The plants do get iron as well as whatever else is in the ferts I use. This condition seems to escalate after I have had vacation food in the tank while I've been away.

I should add that only the java ferns are affected. Nothing wrong with my crypts, amazon sword or anubias, or any of the floating plants.

--mermaidwannabe

Triton
07-21-2014, 08:15 PM
Mine do the same thing, I think its just the old leaves dying off while new ones come in

Slaphppy7
07-21-2014, 08:23 PM
Hmm, I haven't seen that with my JF....you don't have the rhizome buried in the substrate, do you?

mermaidwannabe
07-21-2014, 08:46 PM
No, the ferns are attached to rocks and have extended their roots into the substrate. This happens with plants I've had for a very long time. Perhaps triton is right -- it could be just the old leaves fading away. I always clip them off when they get that way. I just notice it seems to happen occasionally, with several leaves involved at one time, then doesn't happen at all for awhile. Could this just be normal?

Slaphppy7
07-21-2014, 08:53 PM
Probably perfectly fine....I haven't noticed this with mine, though, I usually don't even trim the leaves until they either start to make new plantlets, or they are covered in hair algae, lol