How to Grow Java Fern

[Turtle4353]

Any help here? Tips would be great. I got two big java ferns but the big leaves died and now I have tiny leaves the won't grow. I have artificial lighting and miracle gro organic under the gravel

[RedRaz]

Did you tie it to drift wood? I have heard it is best to keep Java Fern’s roots above the substrate when planting.

[registereduser]

I found 2 teeny tiny java ferns in some other plants I bought and tied them down to some wood. Now one is about a half inch tall and the other has a leaf about an inch. This was several months ago. They grow very slowly.

[Turtle4353]

Ok. Thanks!

[MooseKnocker]

If you can get it to grow enough would you be willing to sell some?
My local pet stores do not sell any, or the ones that do have major snail issues.

[aokashi]

mine always goes terrible looking on me. I've given up. lol

[Aus]

I have java fern out the ears, almost literally. I am seriously pondering trying it out as a salad vegetable. Or you know.. giving a ton of it away.

Mine grows like mad, sprouts babies all over and stays very green aside from spore-spots and the odd elderly leaf.

The secrets of rampant java fern growth:

-- Absolute neglect. No ferts, no nothing. Tether it (or not) then leave it the heck alone. Well, that's what I do, anyway.

-- Low lighting. It actually does way better in the darkest bits of my tanks, and under weak LEDs that ought to be replaced. That's where it's growing like a weed. Oh, and in a heated bucket in my laundry with hardly any light at all.

- Soft water/acidic water. It doesn't like alkaline conditions, probably as it evolved in high tannin blackwater under some serious forest canopy (hence it likes low light).

-- NEVER put it in the substrate. It likes being tethered to driftwood. Though I have clumps growing loose and some tied to rocks too, and they're all doing about the same.

[aokashi]

^exactly
I have hard water, highlight
and my tridents just wasted away.
They've just began reestablishing themselves in a dark spot in my jar-tank
I also have one growing emersed which is doing much better than everythig else

[MooseKnocker]

Originally Posted by Aus

I have java fern out the ears, almost literally. I am seriously pondering trying it out as a salad vegetable. Or you know.. giving a ton of it away.

If you are looking to give some away let me know! I've been looking and don't want to spend 15$ for a small bit.

[Jupiter]

Mine seem to grow veeery slowly...I have them increase in number but they don't get very big.