# Plants aren't doing so hot :/



## MissLyss1024 (Jun 24, 2012)

I've been noticing for a while now that my plants aren't thriving. I figured I'd give them more time before consulting here but the new growth is having the same issues. I have narrow leaf and windelov java fern tied to wood and they are turning brown from the tips down! Even the new growth. My anubias aren't so bad but they don't look very good either. I have 2 10 watt 6,500K mini fluorescent bulbs in a 10 gal that I have on for roughly 8-9 hours a day. I've started to use Flourish Excel at about half dose over the last 2 weeks and see no difference. Should I up the dosage and trim the plants back a bit?


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## paloverde (Nov 9, 2012)

Hi, just a thought, if those plants were in the tubes that you see at petco or petsmart they need to adjust to being in water and will be a bit fussy for a bit. And you could try giving the java fern some shade cover, they are not sun worshipers. flourish excel is as you know a carbon source I would keep it at the 1/2 dose. Java ferns and anubias are not fast growers and may not even need extra carbon. Trim up the brown leafs, if some of the leafs on the java that you trim have a patch of green, try floating them, they might just sprout a new plant!


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## MissLyss1024 (Jun 24, 2012)

I've had them for about 5 months now and I bought them online. I'm sure they were a little beat up from shipping but I've had plenty of new growths and they seem to go downhill after a while with the brown/black spots. Would trimming them all down help, or just the nasty looking ones?


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## babystarz (Aug 3, 2012)

I would just take out the clearly dead bits. Try upping your light hours to 12 per day and see if that helps. I would not up the Excel dosage all at once, as doing so can cause melting in sensitive plants, but if you want to gradually increase the dose that would probably be safe.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

The problem is not lighting or photoperiod. And 8-9 hours is a good time.

Have you been dosing any actual fertilizers? You may need to lightly dose the tank so the plants can grow. 

Also, can you post a picture of the plants?


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## MissLyss1024 (Jun 24, 2012)

No ferts.. what do you recommend? I still have yet to figure out how to post pictures on here.


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## KRTrenkamp (Nov 18, 2012)

Hey there!

I use API Leaf Zone for my planted tanks. It works extremely well for me. I read that it has also been known to help the growth of Algae, but I have a snail in two of my tanks and also an algae brush so that really hasn't been an issue for me.

It's the only type of fertilizer/plant supplement that I've used and I've had some of my plants since about mid august to early october and they are still looking really great!

Another thing that might be worth mentioning is that I' originally had gravel in two of my tanks then switched to fluorite later.


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

For your plants since they are slower growing, I would just use API Leaf Zone, it is Potassium and iron, with slow growing plants, they don't need much. Or Seachem Potassium. You may also want something for micros, Seachem Flourish will do the job well. Just dose each once a week a day apart. So if you change the water on Sunday, dose API Monday or Seachem Sunday (Iron will react with most water conditioners and will not be able to be used by plant) then Flourish the following day.


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

I have found java fern to sometimes take a while to settle into a tank and establish itself. Most of mine tend to brown off and die back if I move them into a tank with completely different conditions and parameters, as anubias will sometimes do. 

If the java fern leaf is going brown it isn't going to recover so I would just hack the plant back to the rhizome and it should start sending out new leaves in a couple of weeks. 

Flourish excel is a source of carbon. A comprehensive fertiliser like Seachem Flourish is better, although usually java fern and anubias don't need much in the way of nutrients anyway.


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## MissLyss1024 (Jun 24, 2012)

I picked up API Leaf Zone but I had to stop using the Flourish Excel because for some reason it made my Malaysian Driftwood fall apart. Could I maybe try putting a little of it right on top of the microswords? I think i'll try to cut all the plants down that aren't doing well at all but I'm a little hesitant because even the new growths have the same problem.


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