PlantFiles: Java Fern
Microsorum pteropus

Tolerates low light and hard water. Needs good circulation. Will die back if water conditions change suddenly, but grows back in only a few weeks or months if everything stays relatively stable at the new levels (temp/pH/light/alk/salin/dH/etc.).

Don't bury the green rhizome. Plant grows filamentous roots for attaching to submerged wood or other porous surfaces, but the green rhizomes stay on top of whatever it's growing on. They'll die back, rot, or break up into baby floating plants if buried.

A great way to anchoring this plant is to attach it to saturated driftwood with rubber bands until it attaches itself. Do it carefully. Don't break the rhizome or crush the leaves.

Healthy plants make lots of babies - save room for more!

This plant is great for baby fish to hide in, especially if you have live-bearers! It grows quickly and rapidly. My mass of java ferns came from a single plant I accidentally almost killed with "plant friendly" algae killer. Parent plants grow babies on the undersides of their leaves, and before long, you have a colony of your own plants!!!

I have this in my aquarium. It is a great first aquatic plant as it is preaty easy to care for. just don't cover the roots. tie the plant to a rock or log and it will soon grab onto the object itself and keep from floating away. It doesn't care much about lighting conditions, but if kept under high light it may get alge on its leaves. this can useually be rubbed off. Incredibly easy to propigate too. just let it grow until you have too much, then break off some rhizome with a few leaves on it. thats it.