Baby Java Fern

[OneOnion]

Hello, I have 2 questions about my 2 java ferns that are now sprouting a bunch of baby plants.

As I said before, the 2 java ferns are making a bunch of smaller plants. None of them have actually fallen off of the Java fern, but some are getting big. But, for some reason the very tip of a leaf fell off, and a medium-sized baby plant(medium-sized to the other babies) was on it. I took it out because it wasn't receiving a lot of light where it fell on the gravel, and now it's in one of those betta cups filled with tank water. Its biggest leaf is 1.5 inches tall, it has 3 leaves with one 'leaf' being a small thin baby leaf thing, and it's attatched to the bit that fell off. Will this little plant survive? Should I take off the leaf bit it's growing on? Would adding a drop of pure ammonia help it grow?

My next question is a less urgent one. The biggest baby java fern on my plants is about 3 inches tall at its taller leaf, and it has 4 leaves, one being a small thin baby leaf. How much longer will it take for it to fall off? Just wondering.

Thank you for answering.

EDIT: Wait, I read in another thread just now that you're supposed to manually take them off? I read that you're supposed to leave them and they'll go off by themselves. If the thread I read is true, will the one that fell off be OK?

 

[OneOnion]

Ok well I looked around a little more and I found out that if you don't take them off, then the leaf of main java fern will go down because of the weight of the plant and die, and the baby will attach itself to wherever it landed. So I decided I'll take off the ones that have more than 3 leaves.

 

[Ben M]

you can take off the babies when they have a few leaves of a decent size (2cm+). i suppose you could take them off smaller, but they are easier to transplant at a bigger size. you can attach the babies to rocks/bogwood etc. with thread or super glue.

cheers

 

[OneOnion]

Oh, wait, is it okay if they're just floating in the cup? I took off 3 so far, they aren't attached to anything. Is that alright for them not to be attached to anything until they're bigger? I heard they got most of their nutrients from their leaves. If not, I have a few small rocks I could tie them to, but they won't be permanent. Is it okay to take the roots off of a rock once they're attached to it? I might just plant a whole tank with just these Java Ferns, lol.

 

[Ben M]

hi, they should be fine for a while just floating as long as they are getting enough light/nutrients. but i think that they would be better on a piece of wood/rock etc. you can remove them from a rock, but be careful not to damage the roots and rhizome.

cheers