Java Fern Questions

[rfisher]

Hi All,

Please have a look at the following photo's and can anyone suggest what I can do with this Java Fern. It started off as a normal Java and then over the course of the last couple of months I began to notice that the little nodules on the underside of the leaves were starting to root. I didn't think this was going to be much of a problem at first but then it started to get out of hand as they grew and grew and now look awful. Also in the second photo I have loads and loads of Baby Java's. I was told to grip as much of the new plant as possible and give a little twist and tug and they should come off fairly easily. The trouble is they aren't. I don't want to damage the plant by pulling too hard. Any ideas as it is starting to ruin the tank, in my opinion anyway.

And the Second Photo.

http/i80.photobucket.com/albums/j195/rfi...06/DSC00014.jpg

Thanks.

 

[smithrc]

just pull them off

I pulled about 40 good sized plantlets off of our ferns yesterday

 

[rfisher]

just pull them off

I pulled about 40 good sized plantlets off of our ferns yesterday

Thanks for the reply. I will give them another Tug. What did you do with plantlets?

Richard

 

[smithrc]

until i get chance to tie them to some slate, I've got them in the shed in a bucked of water

I'm over run with the stuff! I took a huge ammount out of the zeb tank, that has now grown back - the stuff i removed took over the office tank, so now I've cleaned that lot up, stripped the dead and algae covered leaves (had a beard algae prob in that tank) and then removed the planlets. so we have now got 2 tanks upstairs with lots in and I've now put a load in our new rio240.

I even sold a load at a few quid a shot on ebay - thats what I normally do with the plantlets.

 

[rfisher]

Thanks for your help Mate.

 

[Malfie]

Hi there.
My tank is starting to look mighty fine (been set up for 2 1/2 weeks) but someone told me that I should not plant java ferns directly in the substrate ,which is 5mm ish gravel mixed with aquatic soil,but only attach the to bogwood etc.
Is this true ? I do have a couple of pieces of wood in there, but I like them where they are. Fed up of digging things up and moving them ! Hopefully I shall get it right soon ?

Any comments anyone ?

Malfie

 

[TammyLiz]

The reason you shouldn't bury the rhizome is that it is likely to rot. The roots may be buried, but keep the rhizome above the surface of the substrate. I hear that some people tie it to pieces of slate and bury the slate. I'm planning on trying this soon with a couple of mine, and it sounds like it would be a good option for you, too, since you want to keep them where they are.

 

[smithrc]

The 'roots' will grab onto anything it finds. If I remember rightly, they aren't actually roots, Java fern gets its nutrients through its leaves and just uses the 'roots' to anchor itself

but no, don't bury the rhizome. If you want it free floating, not fastened to anything, put some plant weight round the rhizome to weigh it down.

 

[excaliborg]

Fed up of digging things up and moving them !

You're with the wrong crowd in this forum then

 

[rfisher]

Hi All,

Although my first picture doesn't show it the java fern is attached to a piece of bogwood. I managed to get all the babies off. I took the whole piece of bogwood out of the water and then gently rubbed my finger up the underside of the leaves where the babies were and they gently pulled away. The fern looks much better now. Although I have kept a couple of the babies I counted 100 in total in various stages of growth, but they went in the bin. The next time I have to strip them I will put them up for offer in the section in the forum for buy sell swap. Thanks for your help.

Richard