Anchoring a java fern to some driftwood

[AdamHorton]

All right, I've been trying to get a java fern to root onto a piece of driftwood for several months now. The fern is doing well, and it's growing roots downward, but I just can't get it to stay in the same place long enough for those roots to get in the cracks and holes in the wood.

Here's what I've tried:
-several different iterations of tying the fern to the wood. The problem here seems to be that the place where I want it on the wood is curved such that no matter how tightly I tie the string, there's still room for the fern to move around a little, and it always seems to escape.

-hot gluing the ends of the fern to the driftwood. This seemed to work for a while but of course it didn't stick to the wood and I'm back where I started, where the thread couldn't hold it in place.

I'm out of ideas. Help?

 

[neilanh]

perhaps superglue would work better? I've never tried hot glue, but use super glue in my SW tank all the time.

 

[meegosh]

You could try some rubber bands. By the time it rots the plant is usually anchored.

 

[BigJim]

Try a rubberband, black cotton thread, or light test fishing line. I've used all three to tie java moss to wood or clay with success. You can leave the thread and the fishing line in the tank and they'll blend in. The rubber band sticks out a bit, but it's easy to remove with a scissors.

 

[mgamer20o0]

rubber bands really not that great to use. super glue cotton thread and fish line tend to be better.

 

[AdamHorton]

I'm not about to say this is working, but this time I tied the fern several times using thread. It hasn't moved yet but we'll see if it withstands the test of time...

 

[Goldfish Bill]

I recently purchased a Java Fern through my LFS. When asked if I needed to tie it to a rock or driftwood I was told there was no need. Why? It comes in a packaged plastic basket with some sort of fabric substrate. Just shove the basket into your gravel. Is this info correct?

Thanks,
GB

 

[AdamHorton]

From what I know about java ferns (not terribly much), they aren't big root feeders. That's why they're able to root onto driftwood and such. I couldn't see a problem with planting them that way, especially you didn't use the plastic. It would probably be better if eventually the fern could draw nutrients from whatever substrate you have.

 

[mgamer20o0]

take it out of the plastic container. the rhizome needs to out of the substrate.

 

[Goldfish Bill]

Should I attach it to driftwood? What size?

Sorry, I'm new to this.

 

[AdamHorton]

take it out of the plastic container. the rhizome needs to out of the substrate.

This guy knows a lot more about plants than I do. I know you don't *have* to attach it to driftwood. I'm only doing that because I like the way it looks in my tank.

 

[Gmiked]

I just replaced my thread for fishing line.. you can wrap it tighter and hold a Knot better and you never see it again in the tank .. my thread kept losing up.
also tried a little experiment were i hot melt glued one piece of line to one lide of rock and the held the line down over the fern and glued the other side.. it work pretty good I will see how it holds up over time

 

[cwt]

Java fern roots pretty easily, at least for me it does. Does the driftwood have any grooves in which you can wedge the base of the fern? If not, maybe gouge one or two into the wood and try again. Also they seem to do better in low-flow tanks... find a quiet spot for it in the tank if possible.

 

[AdamHorton]

There are plenty of cracks, and this time I also moved the filter away from the fern. It hasn't moved yet so I'm pretty hopeful.

 

[Jason7894561230]

I know right! Plants like Anubias look so much better on ornamants then by themselves and guess what today i got some sort of plant that looks like fanwort but bigger it is beautiful anf frillly and a mystery plant that im guessing is bacopa

 

[puhlfly]

Youu can put a pin through the rizome into the driftwood. this worked for me

 

[7Enigma]

Don't think I'd do the last one, but rubber bands are pretty much the best way to go if you don't want to do the superglue route (haven't ever done that myself). I have short stubby fingers and trying to tie thread makes the curses fly and the plants float away. Rubber bands take the guesswork out of tying and you don't have to worry about over-tightening and killing that part of the plant.

My puffer tank (see sig) is using rubberbands to great effect (since it's bare-bottom I have nothing to attach it too).