This should probably be under jokes and funny stories. On the Floor Laughing

Do you think there is any hope that these will come back and flourish? Two different plants in two different tanks with the same results.



I think I see a sign of life on this one?


These started out at about 6 inches with lots of leaves and I tried anchoring the roots onto pieces of driftwood. One was in a fry tank and the other with a couple of Bolivian rams. Giggly Giggly

I do have some that still have leaves, but they are headed toward this same fate I fear.

Poor Aura! worry wart!

You might want to take a look at your thumb and
see if it turning black! idunno Giggly

Giggly Giggly Giggly "Preach". No "greenthumbs" in the winter. Giggly Giggly

Aura,,,I know NOTHING about plants,,So this suggestion may be a little "odd".??

Can you put those plants in a tank by themselves so there is nothing picking at it. Myabe they'll be able to make a comeback on there own???? And maybe you'll be able to put in the right chemicals for it??????? Or are they cheap enough for you to say,,,,,,,,,garbage????? idunno

JAT.

AP

AP, I have moved them into a 10 gallon of their own today - not that I think it will make a difference. I just seem to kill every plant that I buy; I'm trying to follow in Kim's footsteps. When she decided to try live plants, I was motivated and started my own little aquatic jungle. Now all I have are stems and roots and a few that are clinging to life. I think Kim is in the same boat, though. worry wart!

I tried plant fertilizers, aquatic soil, different lights, etc.

I really don't think anything is picking at these ferns. The leaves just turn yellow, then brown, and fall off.

One thing that I do have that is thriving is the java moss. It's an absolute mess and is taking over the tank. :FAINTLY:

WOW Aura, is that a new Microsorium variant????????
How long did it take you to develop this INCREDIBLE variant???????
Are you using any special plant food to achieve this deep green?????
I would be very interested in buying these but am afraid that I can not afford the price. worry wart!

java ferns are near impossible to kill. If you are inserting it into the soil, that might be killing it as the rhizome has to be above the ground. they do best attached to rock or wood.

I'm not the only person in the world to have killed one of those! Bouncy Bouncy

Giggly Don't worry Aura I don't do well with Java fern either! Mine are starting to go to! That 2nd one you might be able to salvage, there's a little bit of roots left.

Klaus, for you I would give them away!

Dave and cturner, I feel better knowing I'm not alone. I thought that java fern was pretty undemanding and hard to kill.

Yodahorn, I had them banded to pieces of driftwood for so long that the rubberbands disintegrated. The roots never did attach. Do you have any idea how long it should take to attach itself to rock or wood? I had it in cracks and holes on wood and lace rock which is pretty textured with lots of areas to grab onto.

Aura I've had it attached to driftwood in my shrimp tank that has CO2 on it and the roots attached in less than 2 weeks. I've had it in my 90 gallon without CO2 for months and they still haven't attached.

That's interesting cturner. I don't think I want to get into CO2 though. Is it complicated? Are the plants that are attached doing better than the ones that are not?

On the Floor Laughing On the Floor Laughing
klaus!
one day hes going to make me laugh so hard that ill stop breathing Giggly

Aura, i got some java fern in my mini 5g planted thing that has failed. hygros outgrew the tank and dried up..
a gave some java fern to my friend and you know how some grow mini java ferns on them? well... he said he didt want to put it in water and he carried it home..
i followed him to his hosue and by the time we arrived....
IT MORPHED COLOURS. IT WAS BLACK AND DRY.
i told him to throw it away but he didt listen. he kept it in this tank with a 20watt lighting and it started to grow! that was amazing.

just keep trying and hope. oh and dont worry i cant keep plants as well.
i keep my plants in with play sand and aragonite.. with occies that dig them up all the time.

Aura, don't feel bad. Keeping plant has never been my strong site of the hobby and I have absolutely no idea why these darn things grow like weeds now. However, the only ones that I am able to keep alive are Java fern and Anubias Barteri. Go figure ...... :blink: :blink: :blink:

BTW, thank you for your generous offer but I think I pass Nanananaa

Aura I have new growth on the fern in the co2 and there's no holes in the leaves. The fern without the co2 has holes and no new growth. I can take pictures if you want me to.

Here's the co2 that I have on the 20 gallon. I bought the set up and used the mixture that came with it and when it runs out I plan on mixing my own to save money. I want to put co2 on the 90 gallon but I'm still debating.

http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/243/product.web

I think I will just give up rather than try the CO2, for now anyway.

Cturner, you can post pics if you want to, but I know very well what they look like with holes in them. dumb dumb

Here is a picture from back in July when I thought I was going to be successful with the java fern - babies!!



This was really exciting to see.

I have a similar experience with my water onion. It grew like crazy, so long that it was coiling around and around the top of the tank. Then it grew two new little onions off of the main bulb. Within weeks those babies disappeared and the main bulb started rotting away. Now I have one small portion of it on top of the original bulb with leaves that are about 4 feet tall and turning yellow bit by bit.

I just wish the fake plants didn't look so - fake. I really like having the green in the tank.

Yeah here's a pic of the java fern on driftwood with co2:



And in the 90 without co2 in the substrate:



I did notice that the fern in the eco-complete is doing better than the fern in the sand even though I use flourish plant tabs.

My water onions did great so long as they had bright light and I was feeding the mbuna regularly. In a 33L, which is only 12" high and 48" wide, they did great.

Then I moved them to my 55G and later went on a 4-day business trip. When I returned the water onion leaves were MUCH shorter, courtesy of the mbuna, who clearly told me "If you decline to feed us in the kitchen we'll eat the decorations in the living room."

A few trips later my surviving water onion has leaves about 1" long.