Java Fern Babies

[Allivymar]

I know I've posted this before, but I'm posting again as its obvious I need to do something about these Java fern babies LOL

My java fern never took off, but is having babies all over. What do I do with them? How do I "plant" them? Do I just drop the leaf on the substrate? They're a little too small to tie to anything, but appear large enough to split off. You can see how covered the leaves are here:

 

[Guest]

Let them grow some more, they will take the shape of a larger plant and start to grow "roots." then they will be big enough to tie to something and you can cut them off. Sometimes, the mother leaf will start to die off and the babies will break free on their own. I'll find them in odd places where they've attached themselves without me noticing.

 

[BrianNY]

I agree with corvu Alli. Just leave them alone and let nature take it's course. I've got a forest of Java fern in my 55 and they started the same way. Some have actually taken root in the gravel as they've become dislodged from the mother plants. Others on rocks and driftwood. Some may not like the look, but I do. I'll try and remember to take some pics for you

 

[Mr Burns]

i'd love to see those pics also, brian. i'm debating on whether java fern is appealing enough for me to start growing... i saw a tank with them in a LFS on tuesday, and wasn't too thrilled with what i found. there was a lot of brown leaves on them and they looked pretty torn and deteriorated. however, i have seen some excellent, beautiful examples of java fern, like http://www.e-aquaria.com/exp_eleung.html and a few others that i can find. figures. is there some trick to keep java from deteriorating and looking ragged?

 

[Guest]

is there some trick to keep java from deteriorating and looking ragged?

Good question, wish I knew the answer. I've had some in very good conditions that never took off, and others that look great in far from optimum conditions.

Definitely give it a try, but wait till you see some better looking specimens to buy, Monty. Or drive to my house and I'll give you a real nice cutting.

 

[Mr Burns]

haha...i'll do that, seeing as how maryland is just down the road from me

actually, i'll have smithers do it.

excellent...

 

[madasafish]

*Burns wipes away a tear* --"Smithers, do you think my power plant killed those ducks?"
--"I don't think there's any doubt about it, sir."
--"...Excellent."

I've got some of Alli's baby ferns!!! And Brian saw them too! Go Greater City Aquarium Society meetings! Gonna see how my dwarf puffers and otos treat them...

 

[Allivymar]

*grins*

I do like those meetings; wish I had gotten some of the java moss during the auction tho LOL

Anyway, yeah. Most of my java fern looks like crap. I kinda wonder if they are having babies that will be more appropriate for my tank parameters as the adults aren't doing great, but the babies are nice and healthy and green. Of course, part of the prob could be either the loachs, angels or the plec keeps ripping them off the driftwood and dragging it around the tank LOL I keep finding ripped off plant tops in the clown loach motel. Must be in need of interior decoration

 

[BrianNY]

OK OK. I'll take the pics and post tonight. LOL

 

[Mr Burns]

see...now this is the java fern that i was looking for:

that is JF, right? how does it get all bunchy and nice like that?

"some say the ducks went to canada. others say toronto..."

 

[Mr Burns]

i take that back...THIS is the one i was looking for

absolutely beautiful

you can view the tank info here http://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/?&op=showcase&category=0&vol=2&id=24

 

[Guest]

Confirmed, Java Fern. Mine looks very much like that in my 4+ wpg tank. Grows more loosely under lower-light conditions, at least for me.

 

[Mr Burns]

the tank is going to have the 2x55 AHS, then i'll probably get a 2x40 set from home depot. do i need more than 2.75 wpg to get that effect (besides co2 and all the other water conditions, etc)? it'd be possible for me to add another 2x55 AHS, but not right away... that should be about 3.25

 

[ferret]

I love java ferns. They're impossible to kill, practically need no light, and have a wonderful dark green color.

 

[Mr Burns]

i like them too. however, most of the ones i've seen in person have been really nasty looking - lots of brown leaves and considerable deterioration... pretty much the exact opposite of what's pictured above.

 

[BrianNY]

Here's a pic of mine. It's low light tank with Anubias, water sprite, and sag and stem plants. I think the colors are vibrant.

 

[Mr Burns]

the first pic is pretty blurry, but i can still see the java fern is in excellent condition, as are the rest of your plants. ferts? co2?
i still would like to know how they get their javas to be so bunched up and rich in the picture at the top (is it just higher light, CC?) ^ that just amazes me how beautiful they look...... i mean, that's almost exactly what I want for my tank, minus the glosso

 

[BrianNY]

You're right about the blurry pic. Here's a better shot of that corner of the tank. I've got 60 watts on this 55gal.

No ferts. No CO2. No carbon in the fluval. Temp 80, PH 6.4, KH under 2. Nitrates 12.5 ppm. This tank is 6 months old. I started with 3 medium size java fern and this is the result. Reproduction is staggering. I tied one to a rock and the rest to driftwood.

Good luck with the glosso if you go that route.

 

[Allivymar]

Hrmph. My tank has almost the same parameters (higher nitrates but thats really the only diff), my java fern was tied to a hunk of driftwood 5 months ago, it has 32.5 watts directly over it (47.5 watts total for the tank, but its split; 32.5 on one side, 15 on the other for the plec) and feh. Its green, but has never taken off and instead is expending all its energy having babies. I don't get it.

 

[Guest]

Mr. Burns, from earlier in the thread.

Good question, wish I knew the answer. I've had some in very good conditions that never took off, and others that look great in far from optimum conditions.

Wish I had the exact, "Here is what to do with java fern to make it look great" info, but I don't, sorry.