Name that plant!

Was picked up under the name "fern". No type or species, the clerk had no ideas (PetCo). Since it was something I never seen I took the chance. The big leaves has since died off and I clipped them away. The plant has the same growth pattern and roots as Java fern, grows real slow and seems to perfer indirect lighting. I am unable to find any information on the Internet.

Any ideas?

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interesting.

Have you tried this site? I always used this when I was rocking the planted setup.

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petco and petsmart sell a lot of plants that are non aquatic so it may be hard to id that

That, unfortunately, would be my bet as well.

Addicted2CAs wrote:Have you tried this site? I always used this when I was rocking the planted setup.

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Thanks Addicted for the link, I have it as a favorite on my CU. The plant isn't on this websight though...

@ pbmax and hobbyorobsession, This is very true! When I first started planting I got ripped a couple of times purchasing terrarium plants sold as aquatic. Even at my LFS! They did eventually settle with me after I complained.

When I seen this plant I looked it over real well and took a chance. With my limited but growing knowledge of aquatic plants this could be a land plant. What got me is its rhizome is exactly as Java fern and my African fern. It also propergates through the tip of its leaves just like Java fern... Seeing this is why I took the chance.

I'll keep searching in both aquatic and teresterial plant indexes.

I figured you did. Great site for the planted tanks. I would have to agree with the others and say it may be more of a bog plant than submersed.

Bolbitis heteroclita

Finally!

Mixed reviews about being a terrarium or aquatic plant. Per internet websites its mainly found on banks of water bodies but will grow under water and is considered aquatic. The plant is growing underwater just super slow. I'll see what I can do with it...

Hooray! I'm glad to be wrong.

Awww, I just got the same plant, sold as "tropica fern" mine has grown new leaves underwater. Hopefully they live in in the long haul.

Caseyjts1 wrote:Awww, I just got the same plant, sold as "tropica fern" mine has grown new leaves underwater. Hopefully they live in in the long haul.

I keep thinking that too. The plants I have are still growing but super slow and super small. They are not any bigger than what you see in the pictures above & its a month later.

I had two of these that I purchased at the local Petco. I had put them it into my 10G betta tank using plastic plant anchors and just putting some bigger rocks around them...I didn't bury them just made sure they wouldn't float away. They sat to the front of the tank under the outflow of the filter. Just the other day I was rearranging things in the tank and noticed that one of them had kinda shriveled and turned black but there were a couple of sprouts show up in place of the leaves and they looked more lacy than the original plant.

After doing a bit of reading I found out that there are a couple of types of Bolbitis. Was thinking maybe I had acquired both types somehow even though both plants had the bigger leaves to start. Just watching to see how they grow now.

cichlid-gal wrote:I had two of these that I purchased at the local Petco. Just the other day I was rearranging things in the tank and noticed that one of them had kinda shriveled and turned black but there were a couple of sprouts show up in place of the leaves and they looked more lacy than the original plant.

This is exactly how the plant is growing in my tank. I believe whom ever is supplying this plant grows them immersed. This is how they get them to grow full with big leaves. When we submerge them in water it shocks the plant and triggers it to grow differently.

cichlid-gal wrote:After doing a bit of reading I found out that there are a couple of types of Bolbitis. Just watching to see how they grow now.

Looks like 3 of us now have been roped in purchasing this "aquatic plant" lately . If you have any success getting this plant to grow please let us know! I'll probably give the plant a few more months.

I was also thinking about starting a small tank up where I can have woods sticking out of the water a bit, then perhaps attach some pieces at the very top so the leaves can grow out of the water. I really liked the way this fern looked when I 1st picked it up.

Here's a couple of pics of mine...I guess what I thought was lacy stuff is the leaf shoots coming up. They apparently grow from the leaflets like java fern does. Some of the shoots have opened on mine...and they look like the parent leaves. Not sure what I will end up with here...just a bunch of babies or if the mother plant will also grow. These are in my 10G betta tank which really gets no special treatment other than to be the catchall for my oddball plants until I see what they are going to do and if they will grow.

I have the African fern bolbitis growing in a couple of other tanks but its only been there a couple of weeks so I'm waiting to see how it does also.

Asian fern Bolbitis heteroclita

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African fern Bolbitis heudelotii

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What you're going through with this plant is exactly what I'm dealing with too is sounds like. After about a month the large leaves looked so bad I trimmed them away. Then split the rhizome and attached the plant all over a piece of wood.
As of today none of the leaves look "normal" as they where when 1st purchased...

Here's about a month ago.
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Here is today.
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I think you have some growth going there. Maybe like Java Fern they are slow to grow. Reading indicate they do better partially submerged. Can you take your piece of driftwood and position it so that they are partially out of the water? To see if growth changes?

And you have some great African fern growing there Chad...saweeet!!!

Maybe I'll pick up a piece of driftwood to do that too also and see what happens. Interesting to play around with.

I just picked up some other fern at Petco the other day. Roots are rather woody but its a good looking fern. I doubt that it's fully submersible but the piece of driftwood I put it on is tall enough to sit with the plant only partially submerged. I'm gonna try it and see what happens.

The tank is topless and has a Hamburg Matten filter, no light, only natural light. I've never done that so I'll see what happens there too. I seem to be in the experimental mode lately...kinda like try it and see what happens. Having fun though.

cichlid-gal wrote:I just picked up some other fern at Petco the other day. Roots are rather woody but its a good looking fern. I doubt that it's fully submersible but the piece of driftwood I put it on is tall enough to sit with the plant only partially submerged. I'm gonna try it and see what happens.

The tank is topless and has a Hamburg Matten filter, no light, only natural light. I've never done that so I'll see what happens there too. I seem to be in the experimental mode lately...kinda like try it and see what happens. Having fun though.

Please share with pictures with your experiments! I'll do the same. I bumped into a 10 or 15 gallon LONG metal framed tank at a garage sale. It is a totally odd shaped tank. Have been thinking about setting it up so I can replant this fern immersed. Possibly with the rhizome in the water, and leaves outside?!

When purchasing plants I'll now research them like I do fish. A person spends lots of $$$ on these things, no need to be throwing any out the window...