SaltwaterSam
Marine Hobbyist
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So my java fern was doing great for like 3 months and now the leaves are getting these black fuzzy patches. It looks like little hairs almost? I thought java fern was supposed to be easy but apparently I'm managing to kill it too. I'm worried it's some kind of mold or fungus that could hurt my fish. I have 6 neon tetras and a betta in there, and honestly I'm scared to even touch the plant in case I spread something.
Tank is a 20 gallon, I do weekly water changes about 25%, temp around 78. No CO2, just a basic LED light on like 8 hours a day. I dose some liquid fert once a week (the API leaf zone stuff) but maybe I'm using too much? Or not enough? Idk. The black stuff is mostly on the older leaves near the edges. Should I cut them off? Is it black beard algae or something else? And do I need to quarantine the plant or is that a dumb question? I've never dealt with this before and I'm probably overthinking but I really don't want to lose my fish over a plant. Any help appreciated, I'm kind of freaking out tbh.