Attaching Java Fern

[Hollygirl]

How do you get java fern to "attach" to a rock or a piece of driftwood? Mine is planted in the gravel, and I have a lot of the plantlets growing from the leaves, with these long brown "roots" attached. If I want the plantlets to grow in another part of the tank, do I remove the entire leaf that the plantlet is attached to?

[msjinkzd]

i tie it one with either sewing thread or fishing line. the new plantlets will usually break free if you give them a little tug. I am not sure if that is the best way to seperate them from the parent plant, but I find that they easily come free once they are a couple of inches big.

[eugenet]

First of all you need to get the main one out of the gravel and attached to a rock or driftwood so it doesn't start to rot. I tie mine on with fishing line, but some people use cotton twine so it will rot after the roots have attached.

:thumbsup:

[Hollygirl]

First of all you need to get the main one out of the gravel and attached to a rock or driftwood so it doesn't start to rot. I tie mine on with fishing line, but some people use cotton twine so it will rot after the roots have attached.

:thumbsup:
Will having the java fern in the gravel cause it to rot? To date I haven't had any problems, but the tank has only been up since the end of August.

[msjinkzd]

as long as the rhizome isn't buried it shouldn't rot but they do typically grow better on driftwood.

[fishorama]

With UGF mine loved being in the gravel, all that nice poo-food. Without UGF it's better with the roots in the water column.

[Sammie7]

With UGF mine loved being in the gravel, all that nice poo-food. Without UGF it's better with the roots in the water column.

Those roots are "real" roots. They are just used to attach to things.
"Java Fern is composed of three important parts. The roots of the plant are its most unique aspect. They appear to function not as nutrient carries, but rather, as anchors. The roots are dark brown and hairlike and attach themselves to wood, gravel, and even rocks!"
http://www.aquaworldnet.com/awmag/javaen.htm

[TwoTankAmin]

I will share my secrets for attaching plants to wood or rock. I do not like fishing line cause its a pita to work with and totie well. I do not like thread because it tends to disolve before the plants really gets well attached and then you have to fish out the oieces which love to wind around and stop filter impellers.

So what do I use? two things depending on the tank. My favorite is waxed dental floss (no flavoring etc). It has to be cut off as the wax prevents it from disolving. The two downsides are it is white and if you have smaller plecos, they can get tangled up in it unles it is flush with the surface to which you are tying the plant. (It works better on rocks in this case than wood which tends to have uneven surfaces.) My other favorite thing to use are nylon wire ties. These can be found in black and dont show. They come in various sizes and lengths and can be ganged together to get any needed length.

[fgump]

I used Saran Wrap when I attached my anubias nana to my driftwood. I already had it and it worked fine.

I thought about using dental floss, but the only stuff I have is flavored and decided against it. And I didn't feel like going out and buying fishing line just to tie one plant to a piece of driftwood.

[fishorama]

Interesting article Sammie,thanks.

[mphunk]

I have used black sewing thread with grat success and it doesn't show!