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Small Java Fern?

GeorgeR

Member
Joined
18 Dec 2008
Messages
50
Location
Felixstowe, Suffolk
Hi,

I have seen mention of a plant which is similar to a Java fern but remains quite small. Any ideas what it is called please?

Thanks in advance.
 
In a low energy invironment this one stays rather small. M. p. Philippine

Read the description it requires some special attention, it likes hard water to grow robust, i've been growing it in medium < dGH 10 and higher energy tank and it still didn't grow bigger than 10cm in over a year time. In low energy it stays a tad smaller.
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=232

If you can get your hands on it the "Mini Needle leaf" maybe. But this also is a typical difficult Java variety very hard to keep healthy in low energy tanks. Or it just doesn't in my parameters, yet no description about low energy requirments about it. And about impossible to grow it emersed. But with ample co2 this is a stunningly beautifull little fern.
https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/microsorum-pteropus-needle-leaf
 
Thanks Zozo, but think i will stick with John's suggestion as only dosing easylife carbo rather than full Co2 currently.
 
The true Mic. pt. 'needle leaf' can be grown nicely without added CO2.............but I agree, it is not as easy to grow as the "standards" of Microsorum pt.

The Microsorum pteropus is an incredible variable specie, though, so there are countless varieties different in leafshape and -size.
Sorry I can not direct you to any specific named variety - the common names are really not of any help.
I have tested several 'mini', 'petit' etc. named plants, that really grow rather big. Other test-plants stayed quite small in both low- and high energy tanks.
Your best chance is probaply to get some plant material from someone private allready having a small specimen........
 
The true Mic. pt. 'needle leaf' can be grown nicely without added CO2.............but I agree, it is not as easy to grow as the "standards" of Microsorum pt.

I bought it a few years back from a fellow aquarist and it was grown in a co2 tank with rather a lot of light. It was a very healthy lush plant. Funny is all i planted in my co2 tank grew on very good and doubled in size with in a year.. Enough to provid some others with it a nice portion. All i planted in the low tech, and quite a lot, with the same water parameters it sheded all it's leaves and was completely gone within 6 months. I guess the rhizomes are still in place but it grows so darn slow yet not seen it back 1,5 years later. This little fern hated that sudden transition from high to low tech. The Orange variety did exactly the same. The standard and the Taiwan variety both didn't mind it.

Some varieties are realy picky it seems.. Tho all are generaly described as "very easy". Which is very misleading in my experience. :)
 
I think the "Bucephalandra mini needle leaf" might be an option. Although the leaves look quite rounded, so nothing like a the small java fern i was looking for originally ha ha.
 
I have Mini Java Fern in my tanks. In a high tech tank and the leaves don't grow more than about 5-10cm.

Check the Journal "Tropical Planted Nano Tank - round 3!" in my signature.
Just checked - the leaves and growth of your Microsorum look exactly like one of my best test-plants for a small version. If this is same variety, it can grow very dense and lush, but remain a nice small(ish) size. If it is the same variety, it also CAN grow acceptable without added CO2, but will develop much better to its potential with added CO2 and good light.
Hang on to this plant.............:thumbup:
 
Just checked - the leaves and growth of your Microsorum look exactly like one of my best test-plants for a small version. If this is same variety, it can grow very dense and lush, but remain a nice small(ish) size. If it is the same variety, it also CAN grow acceptable without added CO2, but will develop much better to its potential with added CO2 and good light.
Hang on to this plant.............:thumbup:
I also have a regular sized Java Fern and the leaves are more than double in size.
 
You can achieve much smaller leaf size with heavy trimming with a "standard" variety.
I had a tank with goldfish that grazed down a java over the course of a year and the leaves never grew larger than a few cm after the goldfish was removed.
Or you can just get one that genetically has a predisposition to dwarf growth.
 
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