I just got my first live plants..

[diVer]

I finally found some java fern in my LFS. I've read this is a really hardy plant, which is good since I've never tried live plants before. I also read the roots will attach to rocks, etc. How should I get them started? Right now I have them in the front of the tank where there is open gravel so that they are weighted down. Is there anything I should know about keeping the plants healthy? Thanks for any info and I'll have some pics very soon.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Heya
You need to tie them to pieces of rock or wood, you can use thin fishing line type stuff or elastic bands. you tie them down until they've attached themselves to the rock/wood with their roots and then later you can untie them.

something else i learnt recently is that they make new plants which grow off the parent plant's older leaves! these can be planted elsewhere in the tank when they're big enough.

 

[diVer]

Thanks for the help, how long should I tie them down for?

 

[Bol]

Usually takes a couple of months for them to get a firm hold of something. If you use cotton thread, the thread will dissolve in a few months, and you won't have to worry about it.

Also, it's not really necessary to tie them to anything. With my "seedlings", I often just put them on the bottom, tucking the roots into the gravel. It can be hard to make them stay there, though.

As a reminder, make sure that the rhizome (the horizontal 'stem' type thing at the bottom of the plant, that the leaves and roots sprout from) is not buried. If it is, the leaves and plant will just die.