Help a novice grow their plant: what am i doing wrong?

[Sire]

I'm a total newbie when it comes to plants - my experience is with fish, having kept them for over a decade. I thought, why not try something simple to make my tanks look better and give the fish some extra hideaways? I'm not looking for anything complicated or expensive, so I picked up some Java fern. I split the bunches between my betta tank and main tank. The ones in the betta tank seem okay, not exactly thriving but they're managing to survive. The ones in my main tank, however, didn't do so well - they've shrunk since I bought them, which I didn't think was possible with Java fern.

My main tank is 2ft, with a filter and a small supplemental one, and it's home to a betta, a 3" L201, and 6 corydoras sterbai. The tank's at 26 degrees C, I do weekly water changes, and it's lit with a not-as-bright-as-I'd-like LED. I've also got a bit of an issue with some thread-like algae growing on the wood where the Java fern is supposed to be growing. The substrate is sand.

I'm wondering if there's something straightforward and inexpensive I can do to improve things. I recall my mum having a planted community tank and she didn't do anything special - just bought the plants from the LFS and stuck them in the tank, and they grew.

[nerdy_9]

I'd suggest adding some Excel to give your Java fern a bit of a boost. From what I've learned, it's pretty normal for them to drop a few leaves before new ones start growing - it's just part of their cycle. I've also been told they're incredibly hardy, so don't worry too much if they look a bit worse for wear at first. To be honest, you can pretty much just attach them to a rock or a piece of wood using some string, and they'll be fine - I've done that with mine and they seem to be doing alright.

[Sire]

This is the Excel stuff I assume you're talking about? http://www.seachem.com/flourish-excel.php Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a go.

[boomer]

I'm afraid I have to disagree. Excel isn't the answer here, and it might even make things worse. Let me explain why. Java Fern is a slow-growing plant, and as such, it doesn't require a lot of light or nutrients. Adding Excel, a liquid carbon supplement, won't help because this plant doesn't need more carbon than what's naturally produced by the fish in your tank. The other nutrients might be sufficient as well.

What I'd suggest is taking a closer look at your lighting. I've had Java Ferns die back under moderate light, but when I added some floating plants to give them shade, they recovered and started spreading. If you're seeing algae on the leaves, it's probably due to the light. However, it's also possible that it's not algae at all, but the beginnings of adventitious plants. As a true fern, the fronds develop daughter plants that grow black roots, usually from the lower side of the leaf.

To better understand what's going on, it would be helpful to see some photos of the plants in both tanks. Additionally, could you provide more information about your lighting setup? That might give us a clearer idea of what's going on.

[shakinStevens]

To better understand the situation, could you please provide us with your tank's water parameters? This includes pH, GH, KH, nitrite, nitrate, and ammonia levels. Are you using tap water, RO, or distilled water to fill the tank? If it's tap water, what are the tap parameters? Knowing these details will help us make more informed suggestions.

Additionally, do you happen to know the brand of your LED light or can you share a link with its specifications? Are you using any chemicals or fertilizers in the tank? Without this information, we're just making educated guesses. That being said, I still have my doubts about Excel being the solution.

[Sire]

boomer, I apologize for the confusion - the algae is actually growing on the wood, not the Java fern leaves.

shakinStevens, I've managed to dig up some of my tank's water parameters for you. I use a mix of tap and rainwater, as our tap water is quite hard and high in pH. The current readings are:
pH is around 7.2
GH is 13
KH is 4
I don't have a test kit for NO2, NO3, or ammonia, but I get it checked at the LFS every now and then. The last results were fine, so I've stuck to the same water change schedule. The fish are all happy and healthy, so I'm assuming everything is okay.

I'm not using any fertilizers or plant-related chemicals, as I'm really not looking to get into planted tanks in a big way - just want some simple greenery for the fish. The only chemicals I use are dechlorinator and meds if anyone's sick, but we've been illness-free for months now.

The light I'm using is this one: http/www.amazon.co.uk/Tingkam-Aquarium-Water ... detailpage