Plant ID and care [aquatic fern, I can't find any info]

Plant is dark green. Roots are long black and stiff like wire or a tree root. I can not find any information on Internet. Store attendant told me it would be better to grow on wood. When I got it home these plants are in bundles so I'm wondering if I should unbundle them/separate then attach, or leave them bundled? I do like the bundled look because they look like a full plant. But I will unbundle them if they will grow better and get better coverage.

Ill keep searching Internet for more info but if anybody has any idea of a name and care of this plant let me know.

Thanks,
Chad


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Doesn't look fully aquatic to me. stems appear to be woody. At first I thought it looked like Taiwanese fern which is a true aquatic fern but the leaves are wrong and the stem is different. I can't find it in any of my books.

Salzabar wrote:Doesn't look fully aquatic to me. stems appear to be woody. At first I thought it looked like Taiwanese fern which is a true aquatic fern but the leaves are wrong and the stem is different. I can't find it in any of my books.

The stem is very....woody..... Lesson learned.

After about 30 minutes this is what I found. trichomanes javanicum. It's a fern that lives on the side of streams and under waterfalls. It's not fully aquatic and by other forums will die within a few weeks fully submerged.

Ugh, got ripped. Store attendant was all, " this is a great plant- grows real well." Bla bla...
Looks good though chilling on my bog wood. I may stuff it n my sump and see what it does or take it back and bitch til they give me a refund.

Thank you for your input. I've learned a new lesson today.

If you want a nice aquatic fern, that looks simuler to that plant...and is what they are trying to pass it off as try Bolbitis heudelotii

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Kaosu wrote:If you want a nice aquatic fern, that looks simuler to that plant...and is what they are trying to pass it off as try Bolbitis heudelotii

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Nice! Looking for some now. If I can find some I may try my 1st online purchase.

Thank you.

Hi theChad,

It looks like Trichomanes javanicum (Borneo fern) which is definitely not aquatic.

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Seattle_Aquarist wrote:Hi theChad,

It looks like Trichomanes javanicum (Borneo fern) which is definitely not aquatic.

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.oO Thanks Seattle, Im going to start researching plants like i do fish before a purchase. The plant was fully submerged, the clerk sold it to me as aquatic as i enquired about the plant and gave a "good review" about its looks and growth (underwater)... I finally found pictures, info, and other forums about this plant. It is a terrarium plant!
Im researching Bolbitis heudelotii. A true aquatic fern that looks close to the one I posted...

Hi theChad,

We have several GSAS members that grow Bolbitus heudelotii (African Water Fern) and you will occasionally see it in our auctions. I used to grow it myself but now I am growing Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis' - sometimes called Bolbitis 'Short Form' or Bolbitis 'Mini'. All the Bolbitis are great plants, they do not grow quickly and they root onto the hardscape (don't plant in the substrate). I took a page out of the Reefgeeks handbook and use Superglue Gel to attach my Bolbitis, Microsporum (Java Ferns), and Anubias to my hardscape.

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Seattle_Aquarist wrote:Hi theChad,

We have several GSAS members that grow Bolbitus heudelotii (African Water Fern) and you will occasionally see it in our auctions. I used to grow it myself but now I am growing Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis' - sometimes called Bolbitis 'Short Form' or Bolbitis 'Mini'. All the Bolbitis are great plants, they do not grow quickly and they root onto the hardscape (don't plant in the substrate). I took a page out of the Reefgeeks handbook and use Superglue Gel to attach my Bolbitis, Microsporum (Java Ferns), and Anubias to my hardscape.

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Very nice picture. Thank you for sharing. I believe this plant would be a great alternative to Java fern and Anubias. Im planting a larger tank(140 gallon long-7 foot), so Im on the hunt for different plants , yet trying for symmetry as well. I've converted from large fish to dwarf cichlids and small predators with bog wood with nooks and crannies everywhere. Im already up to 5 species of Apistogramma in the 140 and my 30 g grow out along with 1 species of dwarf pike. The Bolbitus heudelotii will do well in this aqua scape. I still have a lot of wood to cover.

I would love to hit a GSAS rally , unfortunately the timing isn't always the greatest with my schedule. Perhaps this summer.

Chad

Hi Chad,

Our annual GSAS General Auction will be on Saturday, April 13th in West Seattle. Typically there literally hundreds of varieties of plants and fish offered as well as tanks, lights, and filters, and equipment.

Seattle_Aquarist wrote:Hi Chad,

Our annual GSAS General Auction will be on Saturday, April 13th in West Seattle. Typically there literally hundreds of varieties of plants and fish offered as well as tanks, lights, and filters, and equipment.

.oO{ I'll try to make this year! Thanks Roy )

dont mean to chime in negatively here or anything but mixing a lot of the apistos (unless only males) is probably not the greatest idea. im under the impression that a vast number of the females simple go bright yellow when breeding and it can become difficult to differentiate species from one another. if you plan on trying to breed and collect the brood i would highly suggest dropping all but one and getting a TON more females and just one lone male. its a trick that comes highly reccomended from chuck rambo for breeding apistos. cram as many girls in a tank as you can, then when they all go yellow drop a male in there for a week or two and then simply remove him to his own tank (many apistos do not share brood care). after a month or two of all the girls watching babies u just go in and catch all u can and bam apisto breeding. anyways GL with the plants i sure loved my planted apisto 55g.

ApistoDave's website has information on keeping hundreds of Apistos in one tank (I think he keeps 700 in a 150 gallon). He also has a link that breaks down the Apisto's by complex, so that you won't keep species that will interbreed and make hybrids.

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Squirmteben wrote:ApistoDave's website has information on keeping hundreds of Apistos in one tank (I think he keeps 700 in a 150 gallon). He also has a link that breaks down the Apisto's by complex, so that you won't keep species that will interbreed and make hybrids.

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.oO{ Thank you for sharing this link. Very informative )

Anthraxx wrote:dont mean to chime in negatively here or anything but mixing a lot of the apistos (unless only males) is probably not the greatest idea. im under the impression that a vast number of the females simple go bright yellow when breeding and it can become difficult to differentiate species from one another. if you plan on trying to breed and collect the brood i would highly suggest dropping all but one and getting a TON more females and just one lone male. its a trick that comes highly reccomended from chuck rambo for breeding apistos. cram as many girls in a tank as you can, then when they all go yellow drop a male in there for a week or two and then simply remove him to his own tank (many apistos do not share brood care). after a month or two of all the girls watching babies u just go in and catch all u can and bam apisto breeding. anyways GL with the plants i sure loved my planted apisto 55g.

Hi AnthraX,

Thank you for your input. I haven't got to the breeding part yet. My females are separated in a grow out tank. I've only ran into one species thus far that also offered the females. A lot of breeders don't offer males with females I'm thinking for competition reasons?!

Anyway, the tank I'm housing the males in I can not successfully breed. I also have small and dwarf predators such as Pike and African leaf fish that will gobble up young male and the smaller female Apisto's. I am however breeding Kribs in this same tank. It's an interesting set up...

I'm thinking if I do breed ill pick and choose species and re home them in something like a 40g. But that's in the future at some point.

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Old picture. Have many more plants now...

I've only ran into one species thus far that also offered the females

Clarks in Bellingham always have them in males and females..well with a few exceptions but last time i was there they had about 10 differant types of pairs for sale some are very price but hard to find.

Kaosu wrote:

I've only ran into one species thus far that also offered the females

Clarks in Bellingham always have them in males and females..well with a few exceptions but last time i was there they had about 10 differant types of pairs for sale some are very price but hard to find.

Oh jeez, just what my pocket book didnt want to hear! Ha

That's good stuff. I work in Arlington, Think I may make a road trip one day this week!
Thank you Kaosu!

theChad wrote:

Kaosu wrote:

I've only ran into one species thus far that also offered the females

Clarks in Bellingham always have them in males and females..well with a few exceptions but last time i was there they had about 10 differant types of pairs for sale some are very price but hard to find.

Oh jeez, just what my pocket book didnt want to hear! Ha

That's good stuff. I work in Arlington, Think I may make a road trip one day this week!
Thank you Kaosu!

well worth the trip up north, one of the best fish stores i have ever been to..basically the only store i buy from anymore.

you will love it!!! btw be ready for 20-60$ for a pair depending on what you want ^_^ ..they also get in rare plecos and tons of nano micro fish that are hard to come by.

ohhhh!! and lots and lots of plants

here are some pics ^_^

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Great Pictures Kaosu. I know what I'm doing this Sunday. Road trip! Hey, is it just me or does all the freshwater tanks have live plants in them?

Salzabar wrote:Great Pictures Kaosu. I know what I'm doing this Sunday. Road trip! Hey, is it just me or does all the freshwater tanks have live plants in them?

nope not just you most of the tanks have live plants in them, ^_^

I have allot more fresh water pics of the tank in my main files but i cant move them to that one or they will break all the links
pages 7 and 8
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