[MatPat]

I have a DIY reactor i made with a gravel Vac and A Powerhead. being fed by Four 2 liter bottle Of DIY yeast CO2.

I tried Java Ferns, it developed brown spots quickly and nearly died and the Anubis was dead inside of 3 days.leaves all melted and fell off. No drop Checker, cant find one Locally/ cant Afford one.

I mean really i find it hard to believe that NO plants grow in the rift lakes their has to be Something besides swords that will not die lol!

If you haven't already, leave the Anubias and Java Fern rhizomes in the tank. I would bet that the leaves fell off as a result of very different water parameters between your tank and the tank they came from. Once the plant acclimates, new leaves will more than likely begin to grow from the rhizomes...these two types of plants are extremely hardy. I have had the same thing happen to Java Ferns on several occasions when I have moved them from soft water to hard water and vice versa. I've yet to kill an Anubias by switching them to a tank with different water paramters. Did your Anubias come from a soft water tank by chance?

I would also look into adding some inorganic NO3 and PO4 to your tank. The organic (from fish waste) NO3 and PO4 seem to be more difficult for plants to utilize than the inorganic stuff (KNO3 and KH2PO4) we typically add to planted tanks. You can purchase Spectracide Stump Remover (KNO3) and Fleet Enema (PO4 source) very inexpensively from Lowe's/Home Depot and any pharmacy.

I keep a 125G Tanganyikan Community Tank with Anubias and Java Ferns, along with some moss (not Java Moss) and Valisneria species. All do well with a KH around 14 dKH, pH of 8.2 and a fairly high GH (15+ dGH) as long as I remember to add the KNO3 and KH2PO4. This tank has fairly high nitrates (~40ppm) but does much better with the addition of KNO3.

As far as a carbon source is concerned, you may be better off using some Excel or gluteraldehyde (generic Excel) in the tank along with your DIY CO2. You can find Excel at nearly any online aquarium store and gluteraldehyde can be picked up at half the cost of Excel from any Medical/Dental supply store.

Be patient with the Anubias and Java Ferns due to their slow growth. It may tank up to a month for them to sprout some new leaves, depending on your CO2 levels. As long as the rhizomes remain firm and the Anubias roots stay white the plants are not dead. The crushed coral and aragonite sand probably aren't helping much but they would be a royal pain to remove with the soil in the tank so try and work with what you have for a while.

What part of Ohio are you from?