Fern melt??

[Bigsilky]

Hi all,

Is this change in colouration melting occurring? Or is it the plant adapting to submerged?
Many thanks

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Is this change in colouration melting occurring? Or is it the plant adapting to submerged?
Many thanks

It isn't melting as such, more bleaching. Can we have a full plant shot? I assume it is Bolbitis heudelotii, but <"it does look a little strange">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bigsilky]

Hi all,

It isn't melting as such, more bleaching. Can we have a full plant shot? I assume it is Bolbitis heudelotii, but <"it does look a little strange">.

cheers Darrel

Hi Darrell, it’s tricky to get decent full plant shots, it’s not a big plant as I trimmed the biggest bits off as it was too big for the tank. It’s only like day 4 of a brand new set up and I’m doing 50% + water changes daily.
My lighting is twin star 450s v4 set at about 50-60% brightness, but it is directly below the light, the affected leaves are sitting about middle of water column.

Thanks

 

[Bigsilky]

Hi all,

It isn't melting as such, more bleaching. Can we have a full plant shot? I assume it is Bolbitis heudelotii, but <"it does look a little strange">.

cheers Darrel

I have some trident fern in there too and some of the tips are turning that dark green colour too.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have some trident fern in there too and some of the tips are turning that dark green colour too.

They should be that dark green, it is the white bits that are worrying. In the case of the Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) the new growth is a <"dark translucent green"> - <"microsorum problems">.

cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

My lighting is twin star 450s v4 set at about 50-60% brightness, but it is directly below the light, the affected leaves are sitting about middle of water column.

Were all the leaves green when the plant went in the tank? If they were? It maybe an excess of light.

Why plants scorch
Plants have evolved in differing environments, and a very dark green plant like Anubias spp. or Bolbitis heudelotii, will have evolved in a shady, low light environment. The plant is very dark green because it has a lot of chlorophyll to harvest as many of the scarce passing photons as it can. Producing chlorophyll has a "cost" to the plant, and natural selection via "survival of the fittest" will winnow out those plants carrying genes that produce sub-optimal amounts of chlorophyll (either too much or too little) for the conditions the plant evolved in.

If you place a very dark green plant into intense light for any extended period, Clive's <"photon torpedoes"> will damage them.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bigsilky]

Hi all,

Were all the leaves green when the plant went in the tank? If they were? It maybe an excess of light.

cheers Darrel

So, the dark green tips are what’s changed, the light colour on the centre of the leaves were like that when I got the plant. The plant came from aquarium gardens and they are grown hydroponically and not kept submerged in water.

Im wondering if the plant is just changing to being submerged and the tips are actually healthier, it’s just as it’s the tips it felt like it was dying off maybe. It’s still super early days I guess.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

.... So, the dark green tips are what’s changed, the light colour on the centre of the leaves were like that when I got the plant ........ Im wondering if the plant is just changing to being submerged and the tips are actually healthier, it’s just as it’s the tips it felt like it was dying off maybe. It’s still super early days I guess.

I'm really not sure, I would definitely try and place them somewhere <"with lesser light intensity">.

<"Bolbitis heudelotii"> is naturally a really dark green and <"Microsorum pteropus"> a mid green.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bigsilky]

Hi all,

I'm really not sure, I would definitely try and place them somewhere <"with lesser light intensity">.

<"Bolbitis heudelotii"> is naturally a really dark green and <"Microsorum pteropus"> a mid green.

cheers Darrel

Thanks Darrel, I will keep
Observing for a bit and see what happens, I can always cut those bigger leaves off and see what the new growth does as the rhizome is much lower down. Stuck with super glue so I don’t want to try ripping at it at the moment.

Thanks for you responses and all the links etc. much appreciated 🤜🤛

 

[Tim Harrison]

@Bigsilky can you read the guidelines for plant help and post the relvent data please

Please read the guidelines for plant help!

Dear Member Please give as many details as possible regarding your aquarium set-up, when requiring advice/help! The above will be posted at the start of each help request. Why do we ask these questions? It will reduce the member posting multiple times, plus adviser's don't need to scroll...

www.ukaps.org

However, if I were to guess it probably does have something to do with transitioning. Like you mentioned above AG grow their plants on using ebb and flow hydroponics, so the plant will not be adapted to life underwater. It looks a little odd to me too and I guess that's why. I think the submerged form is a little different. Good CO2 flow and distribution will undoubtedly help make the transition a little less ugly.