Who Gives A Fish Forums

You should never plant the roots in gravel or sand, that's just asking for rot. Otherwise, the fern's doing alright. The two-tone leaves are a sign it needs some extra nutrients - probably potassium and/or iron. That goop, though, looks like it's from a tissue culture gel. Did you buy that in a ...

My tank's actually bouncing back from a detritus worm issue, might be relevant to the plant's situation.

You should never plant the roots in gravel or sand, that's just asking for rot. Otherwise, the fern's doing alright. The two-tone leaves are a sign it needs some extra nutrients - probably potassium and/or iron. That goop, though, looks like it's from a tissue culture gel. Did you buy that in a ...

Here's a better view - my java ferns are attached to driftwood.

I've added another set of java fern to my tank and I'm seeing some growth on the original set's "roots", but there's this weird film forming on one of them. Not sure if it's normal or if I need to take action. Wrong thread maybe?