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Fern problem
Hello,
I have problems with my ferns (microsorium pteropus and bolbotis
heudelotii). They periodicaly die. I have been growing Bolbotis in my
tank for long and they had fill my 350l aquarium. Problems started since
I moved to a new flat and now I just managed to keep small bushes that
periodicaly dieback. Leaves get brown and rot in 2-4 days, the rhyzom
eventualy rot also. It happen to both species together. In between the
dying periods both fern grow beautifully. My water is rather soft, KH 2,
GH 5, pH 7.1 (I am quite puzzle by a alkaline pH in soft water ...).
Nitrate is 10-15 mg/l (it is quite high in the tapwater). I change 1/3
water each 2 weeks. Light is 4x36W bulb. I fertilise with commercial
trace elements (mainly chelated Fe2). Substrate is plain gravel (the
fern are on stone anyway). no CO2 fertilisation. Fish load is medium.
Other plants cause no problems other than need of frequent trimming
(Vallisneria, Hydrophyla sp., Echino., Anubias and crypto sp.).
The thing seams too quick for a deficiency problem and should more be
something like a toxicity problem. There are lead pipes for water
supply. Could that be the problem ? Also, I wonder if strong ligth
variation could be the problem: the vallisneria grow fast and last times
the problem occurred just after removing several large ones.
Help would be appreciated
Thanks
Benoit Marcais, France