Microsoreum Pteropus & Windelov leaves going brown

Hi

I have a good bit Microsoreum Pteropus (java Fern) & Windelov and I've noticed the leaves going brown black and falling off slowly over the last few months.

The plants don't die and have a good few new smaller plants forming on the ends of older leaves, its particularly noticeable when I recently got a few new ones from the LFS which have bright green leaves.

I use Easy Carbo daily & Easy Profito twice a week. My tank is fairly heavily planted.

I've read this can be caused by a lack of nitrates in the water ? can any one shed any light on how best to keep their leaves a nice green colour.

Thanks

Hi Mike any chance to see a photo of those ?

Have You god flow in Your tank ??
Are there any dirts on the leaves ??
Are the roots above the substrate ?? (not every one ned to know how to pant microsorium so I ask just in case )

This plant is dying only with extremely bad conditions.


Dan.

AquaticGardenShop wrote:

Hi Mike any chance to see a photo of those ?

Have You god flow in Your tank ??
Are there any dirts on the leaves ??
Are the roots above the substrate ?? (not every one ned to know how to pant microsorium so I ask just in case )

This plant is dying only with extremely bad conditions.


Dan.

I also have this problem. I will take a pic later on.

Stephen.

Is it a case of the leaves are just going brown? in which case it could be a lack of nutrients in the water. These plants draw most of their nutrients from the water column through the leaves and very little through the actual roots. Typically with nutrient deficiency, the leaves will go brown and start to break down, they go translucent and soft over a short time and will eventually becone a mass of stringy fibres.
If on the other hand, the leaves are going brown / black in spots and you are getting a lot of small plants developing on the leaves, this is nothing to worry about really. Its unsightly, but its also how this plant reproduces. you can wait for the small plants to detach from the parent plant and attach to rock / wood in the tank and create a thick grouping of them over a relatively short time.

Cheers,

Bill.

Didnt come out very clear but its black/brown bits on the fern.

DSCF0850.JPG

Didnt come out very clear but its black spots on the fern.

hmm, I'll try to cut off those leaves and let the new ones grow, Microsorium is not in 100% aquatic plant !! so they might some problems like that one sometimes, especially with very high light, not clear (dust water) where small bits of food or dust can stay on leaves, low water flow or alkaline water --> (not sure did I wrote that one correct).


For sometimes You need to give time to your microsorium to get used to the conditions in Your tank.

I've seen those and anubias (size of rubarb) on H. Bleheri movies were thay were growing emersed on big roots above the river, the same I can presume that roots might be more important to get the nutrients from the water than the leaves.
Imresive plants in wild nature


Dan.

Ok thanks dan.

Stephen.

You are welcome !

I can tell that I had an Anubias and for one week before it was sold it was looking 100% healthy,
when it landed in my friend tank it get all leaves black in few days time. After two weeks new leaves were created and it look very healthy now!
It might be the same story with Your Micosorium.

Dan

Thanks for the comments,
I've had some of my plants for over 12 months and I'm slowly building up more and more. Mine are not too dissimilar to the photos above posted by hicker. Maybe a bit browner.
All are attached to bog wood or a mesh moss wall I have at the back of my tank.
I have adjusted my flow pipe based on your comments Dan to make the flow stronger although my filter is more than adequate for my 330 litre tank.
The windelov seems to be the most affected, I was thinking it could be a lack of nutrients in the tank and I have noticed some days I get a dust covering the plants, not sure the cause of this ?
Thanks again for the useful comments.

Hi Dan,

Do you know the what are the best conditions for growing Crinum thaiainum, do they prefer still or fast flowing water. I.e can I stick them below my water filter outflow bar?

Best condition sfor CT is large tank as thay might grow up tu 3-4m Reach with nutrients soil,
"regular flow should be ok for most of the plants"
Flow must be good enough to mix the water around the tank and to don't keep dust on leaves,

The dust on Your leaves could turn in to brown leaves, don't rely know why but I've already heard about damaged plants after the leaves were covered with dust.

Dan

The problem you have experienced with the java fern is not that uncommon, I have seen it occasionally on some specimens of plants that i have kept and grown, the advice regarding the water flow I would agree with any time i experienced what could be described as a general disintegration of the plant mass it was where the plant was in an area with very little water flow, for example a corner of the tank, what tended to happen first is the production of smaller leaves, then the plant started to reproduce vegetatively , lots of small plants on the existing fronds while at the same time the fronds blackening and starting to die in sections and disintegrate.
I don't think the problem was either a nutrient deficiency nor light problem, posibility brought on by co2 deficiency / fluxuations I am not too sure, but i think the plants reaction to the problem was to go into reproductive mode through stress. a picture of your plant would tell a lot.
re the picture of the cultivar 'Windelov' I would diagnosis as similar to the above other than regarding the lighting, in my experience this cultivar needs more light than most of the commonly kept types of Microsoreum.
I have a number of forms of it growing at the moment and that is the one that i have found to need more light and care to keep it looking well over time plus Ihav found it to be pretty slow in comparison to other forms which i regularly cut back and pass on portions.
on a side not the fastest most vigerous form is one sold a 'vigerous form' i picked my specimen up from a tray of dennerl plants but i have been told it is the same as or similar to a form sold by tropica also, i just have not seen it in any of the plant displays in any of the shops.
oh, and one more thing while mentioning different forms if anyone has a piece of java fern var needle leaf Iwould love to get a piece, i could do a swap for some of the types I have (not the tropica 'narrow' form)
tks sorry if i am sort of hijacking the thread a bit!

Thanks for the detailed reply. I have removed the affected leaves, the remaining plants are nice and green now so maybe the brown/black markings on the leaves was bruising.

Stephen.

no bother at all, Ihope the growth inproves with the next flush of fronds and you get the sort of plant you are aiming for, just to show you how some of the cultivars can grow, here is one i took from one of my tanks a week or two ago, and a pic of the size piecies i broke it into to pass on and replant

.

oops, i seem to have made a bags of that attempt to upload the pictures, i will have another go in a minute and try good old photobucket!

attempt number 3

pic of plant removed

picture of portion size plant was broken down to to replant and pass on

WOW thats some plant! Next time your braking it up you can through some my way!