Java Fern

[BondStreet]

Hi There...

I have a Java fern plant in my 75 gal planted and I have a question. On the underside of it's leaves, there are sprouting several brown, hanging stringy things. Is that a form of algae I should be concerned with? Is it algae at all? Or is the plant just rooting itself? It doesn't appear on any of the other plants in my tank, including another java fern on the opposite end of the tank. It doesn't look like it is anything harmful and it isn't growing at a rapid pace.

Just curious.

Thanks for the help.
Bondstreet

 

[d9hp]

Sounds a lot like roots, but I am not familiar with the tank.

 

[Guest]

roots/holdfasts, for sure. i say holdfasts because they dot really even feed the plant, they just serve to hold onto a rock or wood. java fern should not be planted, just tied to a rock or driftwood. use brown or black cotton thread, tie it to whtever you want, in a month or so it will have attched itself and the thread will have rottted away. looks great that way. if planted in the substrate, the main stem that the leaves grow from may rot away and kill the plant.

 

[d9hp]

Can i tie it to a filter? or a heater?

 

[Guest]

Defitnitley not a heater, prolly not a filter either. the heater will burn it up. It needs something rough to adhere to, driftwood or rocks. Really smooth rocks probably would be difficult to use also. I prefer driftwood but I've seen good ones on rocks also.

 

[BondStreet]

Yeah,
Java fern is my favorite plant by far. VERY hardy. Also, Java moss is a GREAT beginner plant, because it can tolerate moderate to low light. It is great to decorate your tank with as well. I have set my Java fern in lava rocks and the are doing great. They look cool and though they are slow growers, they are already significantly bigger than when I bought them 2 months ago.
Bondstreet

 

[d9hp]

Well, why dont you write a profile on them,
here is a great example

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=2300

this is a great way to earn 25 kudos!

 

[Chrismac]

A nice piece of Mopani would be a good example of a bogwood for Java Moss or Fern.
Chris.

 

[d9hp]

Man I gotta say, Chris, you love that Mopani. I have not seen any yet.

 

[ConanTheLibraia]

could it have somthing to do with spores? is it possible for a water plant to have them?

 

[Guest]

could it have somthing to do with spores? is it possible for a water plant to have them?

Well, in this case, not really. Java fern does not have spores. Algae have spores, various water mosses have spores, but they are lower forms of plant life. the higher forms reproduce by flowering or shoots, rhizomes, or runners. Java fern in particular can reproduce small plants from existing leaves, new plants will sorta bud off from a leaf, especially an injured or dying leaf. It's happening in one of my tanks right now.

As stated in my erlier response, the "roots" of java fern are there solely to anchor the plant to a hard surface.