How to grow java fern on Driftwood?
Java Fern is named after the
Indonesian island of Java & you can find them in fish stores in multiple
varieties. There is no need to add substrate for growing java fern in aquarium.
It can be attached to driftwood or any structure in tank or you can leave it
free floating in aquarium. Java Fern is native to locations of Southeast Asia. Java
Fern can grow up to 34 cm in height & 20 cm in width, & it is
considered as a decorative & protective plant. It can absorb nutrition from
aquarium water through leaves & rhizome & can do great if you expose
them in water.
A driftwood is a piece of wood that
floats on the water & then has been washed onto a shore via winds, tides or
water waves. Driftwood seems gorgeous & can provide a better environment
for fish to hide underneath it.
Java Fern on Driftwood
Steps for attaching Java Fern to Driftwood:
It is simple to attach java fern
to driftwood using glue. Also aquarists normally tie this plant to driftwood which
is another good way of temporarily attaching java fern to driftwood.
First step is to buy Java Fern
& driftwood from aquarium shop. Driftwood usually cost under 20 AUD. We
recommend cleaning stuff that you want to add to tank. Make sure you boil
driftwoods, & any structure before you introduce it to tank.
Boiling driftwood will wipe out
germs & tannins. Tannins are released in water when you place wood in water
for some period of water & it changes water color. Proper boiling wipes out
tannins from driftwood. Dry driftwood before attaching java fern to it.
Find big java fern plants &
glue it to driftwood using super glue. Then add small java ferns to fill up the
gaps. Cover the top surface of driftwood with java fern plants. There are a
number of ways available for gluing plants to driftwood. Non drip gel is one of
the method I have used for gluing java fern to driftwood.
Find a place on your driftwood
where you can glue java fern. There are different methods of attaching java
fern to driftwood & I think that non drip gel is an effective method. As
long as rhizome is glued to driftwood, the plant will grow with stability. The
roots of java fern will absorb nutrition from tank water.
Do not glue roots of the plant to
driftwood because they absorb nitrates as fertilizers which can help in the
growth of the plant & also remove a toxic chemical that can’t be removed
using filter. Filter converts ammonia into nitrites & nitrites into
nitrates. Nitrates is less toxic than nitrites & nitrites is less toxic
than ammonia. Nitrates is still toxic & can be removed with regular water
changes but plants have the capability of removing nitrates from water.
Spray water on java fern to keep
the plant hydrated. If you have kept the plant outside water for a while, then
spraying the plant will help it in absorbing the moisture.
Finally, it is time to place driftwood in tank. Be gentle because if you do it wrong then java fern may detach from the driftwood. In case your java fern is detached then it will start floating on the water surface.
Java Fern Care:
Many aquarists like to have a
bare bottom tank with artificial plants & decorations. A healthy aquarium
also needs some live plants which act as a natural filter.
Adding beautiful green plants to
tank is very important & you can maintain them easily. Aquarium plants can
offer hiding spots to stressed fishes or the babies. Java Fern is one of the
plant that people grow in aquarium & it does not need CO2, fertilizers
& additional lighting. Fish waste can provide fertilizer & fish exhale
carbon dioxide in water which plants inhale so it is important to keep live
plants in aquarium.
Java Fern can endure in various
conditions. Gold Fish are messy & they eat a lot of aquarium plants but
they do not like the taste of Java Fern so leave it alone.
Java Fern is a beginners’ plant
& can survive in harsh conditions.
It is easy to attach java fern to
driftwood & structures of your aquarium / pond. Java Fern can grow well
when fully or partially submerged in aquarium water. Java Fern is a famous
plant & it is easy to keep it in tank. There is no need to add fertilizers
to the water & Java Fern does not need high lighting & it is easy for
novice to grow them in aquarium. Java Fern seems gorgeous when it is attached
to driftwood. It is simple to glue or tie plant rhizome to structure or
driftwood.
There is another way of attaching java fern to driftwood which is using elastic thread that does not hurt the plant. When you submerge it in water, the elastic thread will turn invisible. In case you do not find enough surface for attaching the plant to aquarium structure then thread can be used. Also it can be used to tie java fern to driftwood. Java Fern do not require fertilizers & aquarium light.
Java Fern Propagation:
You can propagate it by dividing
it at the base, which is known as Rhizome. Java Fern grows very well when it is
attached to driftwood, rocks or any structure in aquarium because if you
submerge its Rhizome in substrate then it is dangerous for the plant. For
propagation of Java Fern, it is recommended to cut the Rhizome & glue or
tie it to driftwood or rock. If you hurt the roots of the plant, then your
plant will not get affected & will grow into a fresh plant.
Benefits of Java Fern in Tank:
- Java Fern is used for filtering water
- It helps fish health & provide hiding place for stressed or baby fish
- Fish can eat this plant
- Java Fern looks beautiful in aquarium
- After adding java fern to structure, it gives a natural look
- It is simple to attach java fern to driftwood
- Java Fern is a hardy plant & recommended for beginners
- There is no need to provide additional CO2, fertilizers & high intensity lights
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