Java Fern - How To Grow It/plant It

[mattlee]

as my new silver dollars have totally munched all of my vallis leaving just stumps i have decided to try java fern with them
so i bought from lfs 5 bunches of the plant but when i got it home only a few have very tiny roots on them. i think im right in saying that they should be grown out of the substrate but how do i go about this?
at the minute ive removed the foam wrapped around the bottom of the bunches and put them back together using the lead strip. they are now just sat in my tank still bunched together.....
can someone advise me on how i go about using these plants please, i do have a couple of other ferns but they were already attached to small rocks when i got them!

 

[PDSimon]

My linkhttp/www.fish-forums.com/board/cms_view_article.php?aid=117

Second picture down on the link points out the rhizome...this can't go underneath the substrate as you said... if there aren't many roots you could try putting a rock on them if they won't hold in the substrate.

For mine they held well in the substrate and on bogwood I just got some superglue (cyanoacrylate) and stuck the rhizome on with a couple of blobs of the glue. If you're not happy doing that just use fishing line.

Easy to grow but the silver dollars might eat them as well? not sure. Waxy plants like anubias shouldn't get eaten... shouldn't

 

[mattlee]

the plants i got dont have a rhizome.... they look like they have been pulled of the rhizome and bunched together....! only a few have very small roots on the bottom.

the silverdollars have not touched the fern i already have in the tank but maybe thats because they still have a few vallis to go at worth a go i thought!

 

[PDSimon]

Could you get a picture? If they don't have an actual rhizome they won't even grow I don't think!

 

[mattlee]

Could you get a picture? If they don't have an actual rhizome they won't even grow I don't think!

yeah ill get one once the kids are in bed

 

[aaronnorth]

Provising they have rhizomes... you can use cotton thread or an elastic band to attach them to a small rock or to a larger rock/ piece of wood etc.
Another option is to use a small amount of superglue to keep it in place. I superglued my ferns to the wood before I put it in so aslong as you can remove it or drain the tank so it has chance to dry then this would be the best option.

Thanks, Aaron

 

[mattlee]

there are 100% no rhizomes on these plants, i think i will be taking them back tomorrow
i know not to buy plants from there again

thanks for everyones help

 

[PDSimon]

How the hell a java fern had no rhizome I don't know! Was it just individual leaves? madness...unless it was another plant..equally as bad on their behalf though.

 

[mattlee]

How the hell a java fern had no rhizome I don't know! Was it just individual leaves? madness...unless it was another plant..equally as bad on their behalf though.

yeah it really is bunches of leaves, the odd 1 or 2 has a few strands of roots but nothing that would hold onto anything. ill get a pic to show you, hold tight ill be back.....

 

[ian]

this is quite common to get these like this in ceramic pots. They are removed from rhizomes and will grow other larger rhizomes. I had some like this for my old tank and superglued them, above the substrate

 

[PDSimon]

Well there you go mattlee... You can still use them

Hardy plants...

 

[mattlee]

heres a pic of the plants/leaves i got, ive took the sponge away from the bottom and moved the lead strip up a bit....

you can see what a mess of my vallis the silverdollars have made

 

[mattlee]

this is quite common to get these like this in ceramic pots. They are removed from rhizomes and will grow other larger rhizomes. I had some like this for my old tank and superglued them, above the substrate

Hi Ian,

so how do i go about using them? just superglue them to a rock or bogwood....?

 

[ian]

I have had them like this before and superglued them, it's hard when tying them as they swing around all over the place.

 

[mattlee]

I have had them like this before and superglued them, it's hard when tying them as they swing around all over the place.

so do i superglue them right at the bottom or about an inch up?

sorry about all the questions but ive never done this before......