Hey
Lately, I've been getting into plants myself. The Java fern is a nice piece. If you find the direction in which the newest growth is formed you can usually channel where it will grow next. I've heard of people attatching to rocks, but i think that was just for easy transportation, and it sounds like your plants will remain where there are once arranged. Also, you may see what appears to be a small Java Fern appear on one of the leaves. Not only one can form but i have a friend who now has four or five on one leaf. These little adventitious growths are a way of propagating the Java Fern. They will develope a root system and everything. You can keep them on the main leaf for a long period of time to ensure that the small ferns have a decent enough amount of growth on them to be transplanted more easily.
Right now i have a 40 Gallon tank with several Java ferns in it and they are doing pretty well. Depending on your current i also found that most of your Cryptocoryne varieties do pretty well in the forground. The Cryptocoryne Wendtii has an entangled and full appearance when grown. You can seperate small portions from the main growth, as long as the smaller shoots have pretty sufficient root growth and size. Also, if your looking for an easy grow for background. Try and come across a Water Wisteria( Synnem Triflorum, i think), I recently got one and when i put it in the tank, new leaves grew within days. The old leaves that were originally on the plant when i got it, died off and weeks latter noticed more adventitious growths. Like in the Java Fern. I have also heard that you can take clippings, but have yet to try that and may just try to propagate the smaller growths. If you can get a Pygmy Chain Swordplant it works as a good forground plant. It grows in oufshoots from the main plant and has a grass like quality.
Anyways, i hope that whatever you end up with works out. There is a certain serenity in a plant tank. Good luck.
Aquatic
