Hi,
I have Java Fern plants in my tank for a while. Now I see algae grows on the leave of the plant. How can I get rid of them? Thank you.

I gather this quite a common problem with slow growing aquarium plants like Java Fern, Fred

My understanding is that the green algae and the Java Fern both compete for the same nutrients and the algae usually wins.

I have Java fern in my WCMM tank of about 10 gallons and this is a very common problem, within about a week of a fairly large water change I get green algae growth on the leaves again.

I've tried reducing feeding, changing more water more often to keep nitrAte and phosphate levels lower, using less fertilizer (Nutrafin Plant Gro) less often and reducing and changing the lighting times (15 watts over 10 gallons) and nothing seems to help that much.

I usually just resort to gently rinsing the Java fern leaves in a bucket of tank water and gently wiping off the excess algae with my fingers. I've kinda got used to it now and don't mind the look too much.

I've recently followed your advice and introduced Java Fern into my new goldie tank, at the moment things are OK but I may have the same problem soon so I would be interested in other peoples comments on how to deal with excess green algae on slow growing plants. Does this indicate the need for more CO2 for example or am I getting confused? Plant newbies need help!

I guess I have to the same thing as well. I am afraid I will damage the plant though.

But Java Fern is the only plant that should go into goldies tank. The rest they will consider as a salad bar for most of the fish.

Yeah, occasionally I do as well. Sometimes the leaves can be quite brittle at the tips so don't wipe too hard. My Java Fern's are attached to bogwood so I just hold the bogwood upside down and swish the leaves around in the bucket of water and then lightly wipe off any large build-ups.

Hopefully, somebody else can suggest a way of reducing the problem in the first place

I have Siamese algae eaters and otos in my golfish tank to take care of the algae problem. They do an excellent job. In addition, I guess that the number of plants per goldfish would also make a difference. In other words, if you have only a couple of Java ferns then there is going to be plenty of nutrients for the algae to bloom. I do not have algae growth in my tropical tank because in addition to Java ferns, I have fast growing plants so no nutrients are left for the algae.

I guess I have to put more Java Fern into the tank. I see baby plants from my java fern. Let's see what happen. Thanks for reply.

I have a Java Fern, and cannot for the life of me get algae to grow in either of my tanks. I don't know if it's a blessing or a bane....