Why is my java fern slowly losing its leaves and dying?

Java fern is a slow-growing plant, and if it's not getting enough nutrients, it can also take a long time to die. If your java is losing leaves, has brown or yellow leaves, has leaves with lots of pinholes, is growing lots of plantlets from its leaves, or has stopped growing new leaves – it could be suffering from a nutrient deficiency.

The first step is to make sure the rhizome of the java fern is completely uncovered (e.g., the rhizome is not buried in substrate or suffocating under too much super glue). The second step is to dose Easy Green all-in-one liquid fertilizer until your water measures 20 ppm nitrate. As a rhizome plant that doesn't require substrate, java fern likes to absorb nutrients from the water column.

Java fern and anubias tend to thrive in environments with more potassium. If your java fern is consuming all the potassium provided by Easy Green and you still see pinholes in the plant leaves, add Easy Potassium in addition to Easy Green to supplement your fertilizer routine.