Hey Bentley! Great video about Microsorum but I just wanted to comment to add some botanical expertise: the "seeds" and "seed pods" you mention are actually spores! As you can tell from the name, java fern is not a flowering plant, it's a fern so instead of spreading via seeds like angiosperms, it spreads through spores which then develop into a gametophyte, which is what we call the "seed pod" that eventually becomes the sporophyte or "baby plant". Also a unique fact that makes Microsorum even more desirable is that it can withstand a significant level of salinity in the water without dying, so it is one of the only plants that can be used by brackish fish keepers!
Very good video with some great advice for beginners. Getting a little pedantic here, the 'species' you mentioned in the video are cultivated varieties of just the one species - M. pteropus. In the absence of CO2 ferln I found this fern does well in hard water with some carbonate in it, low light and a moderate amount of fish waste.
Not sure if you know this but you can just break a leaf and in not long on the side that is further from the roots will make a new plant right on the break but the other side, so if you have a plant with 50 leaves break half of them two inches from the end and you'll have 25 baby plants in know time, tip don't break it off just bend it right over like your folding paper in half.
I bought a little windelov 10 years ago, it grew big,got blue alge-ed , covered in all sorts of reel alge ,almost died 5 times but always grew back for me, you can keep the spirits up with this plant, now I use it with a suction cup and stick it to the glas in those lower- light no grow corners and it's just fine. Great plant but no feature for me, but everyone needs one.
I have one tank, a 20 long,, that is just absolutely packed with free floating needle leaf Java fern that I don’t know how to market. That could be the subject of a video right there. I.e., how and where and to whom your aquatic plants could be sold. IOW, how to find customers.I guess fish stores could be one although they’ll no doubt want to buy at wholesale prices and pay in trade most of the time. PS I love your videos keep them coming.
Interesting video, I have recently set up a high-tech tank with narrow leaf, dosing TNC Complete and Seachem Potassium twice weekly. I have started to get plantlets, I always thought plantlets were due to stress so wondered what I should do. Turns out the answer is leave it and enjoy!
I was never a huge fan of Java Fern until I found a narrow leaf type on clearance at Petsmart. I bought four plants, stuck it in driftwood, and six months later, I have perfect cherry shrimp and ember tetra house
I love Java Fern! Currently growing windelov and 'regular'. I never knew there were so many varieties I have a crazy idea - I want to plant a 40b with Dwarf Aquarium Lilies - maybe 30 bulbs going from left to right and half the depth front to back; should I plant the front half or the rear half of the tank? Bogwood and rocks in the other half. (probably with some kind of hillstream loach or cory and a small tetra or livebearer)
Bentley I have decided to go with plant production. I am going to have a special tank made if I can't find one. Looking at 6' x 1.5w x 1.5T I have seen some of the easy to grow, hard to find plants up here, grow like crazy things under a Nicrew light with fish and ferts. So my tank will be snail free if it kills me, but I want to run some shrimp and maybe a bunch of male endless or Guppies. I had great hopes for my aquatic condom dispenser for Guppy population control, but alas they have no self control! So I have RO water th180 or less always good? I mix with my tap water to get my TDS down to that. Again my friend you are an inspiration and a mentor though you may deny both. Love you man, you're the best!
TH-cam needs to do a better job of notifying me of your vids lol. I always learn a little something. Also any chance you would seeing by the sacramento aquatic society for a talk on plants!! Would love to see you there!
@@BentleyPascoe We just had jimmy over and, it would be amazing to see you here. I feel like educating people on how to keep aquatic plants would really be helpful !
Never done live plants before wanna start anubias and java fern in my angelfish tank with the aquasky 2.0 light… what about fertilizers? Seachem tabs or seachem flourish?
Both of those plants feed mostly from the water column, so I would use a liquid fertilizer and not tabs. I'd look at something like easy green or thrive over Flourish personally.
I had one leaf in there from a bundle of plants. Got me tanks full with baby plants now... I always softly pull them off, how long until it becomes a decent size plant?
I had java fern but it was so tiny & I didn't have a mass of guppies like I do now & not to hip on putting chemicals in my tanks so I rely on the fish waste to grow my plants I have a diy 14 ft light bar with 9-led lights in it that I keep on for like 5 hrs in the morn & 5 hrs late at night & it lights up my whole wall of fish tanks with is 2-55 gals & a 20 gal long.
Mine is dying back because of some issues with stuff, but I have gotten so many babies off it (like 10 or 15 I think). I had no idea that meant it was unhappy (I dont dose co2, so based on your comments, it sounds like the plant was in trouble? Just got some windelov this last week. I never liked the look, but after seeing it in a huge clump on another video, I thought that it would be a good choice for guppy fry. It is definitely growing on me (pardon the pun). Great video as usual, very informative!
Great video........but I need some of your expertise.......I have a heavily planted 125 with a 33 gallon sump. At least 10 different plant species. Co2 and auto dosing of Easy Green, Easy Iron and Easy Carbon. My Java Fern and Anubius both are thick with dark brown algae......All other plants are fine. I have snails, cherry shrimp, Siamese Algae Eaters and Otocinclus cats. They don't touch the Java fern or Anubius! Fluval peat pellets added to sump. 3 Kessil A160 Tuna Suns set at 50% for lighting. Any thoughts or advice?
You might need more flow over the ferns and Anubias to prevent build up which can lead to that kind of algae. Also if you skip feeding for a day or two, the fish will naturally graze on anything they can.
Oddly enough, out of all my planted tanks, I don't have a single Java Fern. I got a windelov once and it never took off for some reason, so I never got any more.
G'day Bentley from Australia. What is your liquid fert advice for viewers with planted shrimp tanks as many ferts contain copper which is lethal? My main go to fertilizer, is Prime Excell. Again contains copper so no good for shrimp keepers, it is also lethal for Central American Cichlids which is hard to wrap ones head around. It is however a great product all round for all other Aquarium scenarios. So having said that, what brands would you recommend for planted shrimp tanks? Cheers Jason
If you can get it, brightwell has specific lines for shrimp tanks. There is also the ADA line which is basically the liquid version of EI dosing, so you can get a little more narrowed down nutrients. Otherwise, you're best bet is likely true EI, but I've had no real issues with Easy Green (which almost all of the all-in-ones are the same with very tiny differences), so you could try tropical, nilocG,etc - whatever is available for you as Australia has such strict rules.
Thanks Bentley, so many beginners are unaware of what copper base products can do to tank inhabitants, and a few TH-camrs fail to warn their viewers, when they indorse a product. They think of the intended plants, but not what else the new viewer may have in their tanks. Sadly we don't have Cory's Easy Green sensation down here, and I'll look into the availability of your suggestions. Yes we even have Rules about Rules down here. Jason
No. Actually it grows slower if you use his method of getting "baby" plants by stressing it, though you will get more individual plants. Imo the idea way to propagate is just grow it normally and split the rhizome.
@@vb2377 it will grow the fastest if you do not split it, it takes some time to recover from being split, but long term splitting it is necessary to grow the largest amount, just so you can move it around. If you really want it to grow fast then leave it alone and dont split or try to force adventitious sporulation.
In general with slow growing plants, that's an issue of too much light/ low co2. In non co2 it will get brown and algae if you try to give it too much light.
@@MidnightGeekSS the 3 main causes are: low flow across them, too much light, or low co2. If you dont ha e co2 I'd eithetraide mylightor shorten the photoperiod. Also java fern can tolerate some level of scrubbing and dilute hydrogen peroxide treatment to remove algae from healthy leaves. Any old dead leaves are goners
Everyone can grown Java Fern......sure they can. LOLOL. Java Fern hates my tanks. I've tried it in multiple system. It immediately goes into distress mode and throws off babies. The babies grow slowly, but they never look healthy. I use Easy Green, my tanks tend to be overstocked. I run Fluval 3.0's on some of my tanks, some just have shop lights. Doesn't matter. Java Fern hates me.
Did you try to remove the thread above the roots? I have Java fern that still has the thread and it’s dying but when I remove it it starts to grow again
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Thanks Bentley. I watch a ton of your videos. Sometimes again and again. I always pick up new tips.
This was very helpful. Thank you for sharing.
New to java Fern, bought the regular. Tbh it's my personal favorite
I love java fern. I have some over 4 years not growing. Until now
Hey Bentley! Great video about Microsorum but I just wanted to comment to add some botanical expertise: the "seeds" and "seed pods" you mention are actually spores! As you can tell from the name, java fern is not a flowering plant, it's a fern so instead of spreading via seeds like angiosperms, it spreads through spores which then develop into a gametophyte, which is what we call the "seed pod" that eventually becomes the sporophyte or "baby plant". Also a unique fact that makes Microsorum even more desirable is that it can withstand a significant level of salinity in the water without dying, so it is one of the only plants that can be used by brackish fish keepers!
Very good video with some great advice for beginners. Getting a little pedantic here, the 'species' you mentioned in the video are cultivated varieties of just the one species - M. pteropus. In the absence of CO2 ferln I found this fern does well in hard water with some carbonate in it, low light and a moderate amount of fish waste.
You are AWESOME You've helped me tremendously with my plants.
Not sure if you know this but you can just break a leaf and in not long on the side that is further from the roots will make a new plant right on the break but the other side, so if you have a plant with 50 leaves break half of them two inches from the end and you'll have 25 baby plants in know time, tip don't break it off just bend it right over like your folding paper in half.
Never grew it but after listening to this, I’m going to try it! Thanks for such a great video.
I have ordered my first Java fern yesterday and was doing research and saw this video. Nice one Brov 👌👍
Good quality helpful info 🍻
Glad to see that little baby I handed you grew into a monster in your hands!
I bought a little windelov 10 years ago, it grew big,got blue alge-ed , covered in all sorts of reel alge ,almost died 5 times but always grew back for me, you can keep the spirits up with this plant, now I use it with a suction cup and stick it to the glas in those lower- light no grow corners and it's just fine. Great plant but no feature for me, but everyone needs one.
I have one tank, a 20 long,, that is just absolutely packed with free floating needle leaf Java fern that I don’t know how to market. That could be the subject of a video right there. I.e., how and where and to whom your aquatic plants could be sold. IOW, how to find customers.I guess fish stores could be one although they’ll no doubt want to buy at wholesale prices and pay in trade most of the time. PS I love your videos keep them coming.
This was great I learned a lot. I have Java Fern in all of my tanks.
I watched one of your videos this morning and subscribed. You're a cool dude! :)
I just bought my first ever java fern. I got 2 tiny plantlets, so I'm hoping that they will thrive in my aquarium.
I bought some "durin besar" java fern that has orange tips to the leaves under good light. Looks pretty cool! Thank's for the vid Bentley!
Sounds amazing!
Interesting video, I have recently set up a high-tech tank with narrow leaf, dosing TNC Complete and Seachem Potassium twice weekly. I have started to get plantlets, I always thought plantlets were due to stress so wondered what I should do. Turns out the answer is leave it and enjoy!
Very good and informative video my friend !👍🐠
I was never a huge fan of Java Fern until I found a narrow leaf type on clearance at Petsmart. I bought four plants, stuck it in driftwood, and six months later, I have perfect cherry shrimp and ember tetra house
Thanks for the info. Hopefully I can use this to cause my dying Java fern to flourish🤞
I love Java Fern! Currently growing windelov and 'regular'. I never knew there were so many varieties
I have a crazy idea - I want to plant a 40b with Dwarf Aquarium Lilies - maybe 30 bulbs going from left to right and half the depth front to back; should I plant the front half or the rear half of the tank? Bogwood and rocks in the other half. (probably with some kind of hillstream loach or cory and a small tetra or livebearer)
I'm trying my first one in a 10 gallon semi planted tank. Not sure which one i have. It has long rigid stems and a lil black ball looking rhizome.
Never knew there were so many varieties of java fern. Some of them are really interesting and very pretty.
👍💕👍
not the first but a subscriber. Great content
Let the games begin
Bentley I have decided to go with plant production. I am going to have a special tank made if I can't find one. Looking at 6' x 1.5w x 1.5T
I have seen some of the easy to grow, hard to find plants up here, grow like crazy things under a Nicrew light with fish and ferts.
So my tank will be snail free if it kills me, but I want to run some shrimp and maybe a bunch of male endless or Guppies. I had great hopes for my aquatic condom dispenser for Guppy population control, but alas they have no self control!
So I have RO water th180 or less always good? I mix with my tap water to get my TDS down to that. Again my friend you are an inspiration and a mentor though you may deny both. Love you man, you're the best!
I think the mix down should be fine, a little extra work, but likely worth it!
TH-cam needs to do a better job of notifying me of your vids lol. I always learn a little something. Also any chance you would seeing by the sacramento aquatic society for a talk on plants!! Would love to see you there!
I would certainly love to do talks for clubs, it's a matter of schedule and cost, but it sounds super fun!
@@BentleyPascoe We just had jimmy over and, it would be amazing to see you here. I feel like educating people on how to keep aquatic plants would really be helpful !
Never done live plants before wanna start anubias and java fern in my angelfish tank with the aquasky 2.0 light… what about fertilizers? Seachem tabs or seachem flourish?
Both of those plants feed mostly from the water column, so I would use a liquid fertilizer and not tabs. I'd look at something like easy green or thrive over Flourish personally.
I had one leaf in there from a bundle of plants.
Got me tanks full with baby plants now...
I always softly pull them off, how long until it becomes a decent size plant?
I had java fern but it was so tiny & I didn't have a mass of guppies like I do now &
not to hip on putting chemicals in my tanks so I rely on the fish waste to grow my plants
I have a diy 14 ft light bar with 9-led lights in it that I keep on for like 5 hrs in the morn & 5 hrs
late at night & it lights up my whole wall of fish tanks with is 2-55 gals & a 20 gal long.
Mine is dying back because of some issues with stuff, but I have gotten so many babies off it (like 10 or 15 I think).
I had no idea that meant it was unhappy (I dont dose co2, so based on your comments, it sounds like the plant was in trouble?
Just got some windelov this last week. I never liked the look, but after seeing it in a huge clump on another video, I thought that it would be a good choice for guppy fry. It is definitely growing on me (pardon the pun).
Great video as usual, very informative!
Good info as always.
Great video........but I need some of your expertise.......I have a heavily planted 125 with a 33 gallon sump. At least 10 different plant species. Co2 and auto dosing of Easy Green, Easy Iron and Easy Carbon. My Java Fern and Anubius both are thick with dark brown algae......All other plants are fine. I have snails, cherry shrimp, Siamese Algae Eaters and Otocinclus cats. They don't touch the Java fern or Anubius! Fluval peat pellets added to sump. 3 Kessil A160 Tuna Suns set at 50% for lighting. Any thoughts or advice?
You might need more flow over the ferns and Anubias to prevent build up which can lead to that kind of algae. Also if you skip feeding for a day or two, the fish will naturally graze on anything they can.
@@BentleyPascoe Thank you......I'll try those two things.
How many plants have you to grow just to cover price of fluval? :)
First to support you here bro =)
Oddly enough, out of all my planted tanks, I don't have a single Java Fern. I got a windelov once and it never took off for some reason, so I never got any more.
Do Java fern need phosphate? Someone told me phosphate is bad for them is this true?
@@MDBD2405 all plants need some phosphate, but it's not something they need a particularly large amount of
@@BentleyPascoe thank you for clearing this up for me I thought it was a bit strange that they wouldn’t like it.
G'day Bentley from Australia. What is your liquid fert advice for viewers with planted shrimp tanks as many ferts contain copper which is lethal? My main go to fertilizer, is Prime Excell. Again contains copper so no good for shrimp keepers, it is also lethal for Central American Cichlids which is hard to wrap ones head around. It is however a great product all round for all other Aquarium scenarios. So having said that, what brands would you recommend for planted shrimp tanks? Cheers Jason
If you can get it, brightwell has specific lines for shrimp tanks. There is also the ADA line which is basically the liquid version of EI dosing, so you can get a little more narrowed down nutrients. Otherwise, you're best bet is likely true EI, but I've had no real issues with Easy Green (which almost all of the all-in-ones are the same with very tiny differences), so you could try tropical, nilocG,etc - whatever is available for you as Australia has such strict rules.
Thanks Bentley, so many beginners are unaware of what copper base products can do to tank inhabitants, and a few TH-camrs fail to warn their viewers, when they indorse a product. They think of the intended plants, but not what else the new viewer may have in their tanks. Sadly we don't have Cory's Easy Green sensation down here, and I'll look into the availability of your suggestions. Yes we even have Rules about Rules down here. Jason
Does java fern grow faster if you propagate?
No. Actually it grows slower if you use his method of getting "baby" plants by stressing it, though you will get more individual plants. Imo the idea way to propagate is just grow it normally and split the rhizome.
Teagan Combest yea I’m talking about splitting rhizome
@@vb2377 it will grow the fastest if you do not split it, it takes some time to recover from being split, but long term splitting it is necessary to grow the largest amount, just so you can move it around. If you really want it to grow fast then leave it alone and dont split or try to force adventitious sporulation.
Really helpful video, thanks!
do you sell out of your house mostly?
House, local auctions and local aquatic swap meets. When I'm in less insane parts of my work schedule I will put up plants on getgills to sell online.
@@BentleyPascoe thanks for the response!
Never had an issue keeping it alive, I just can't keep the algae of it.
In general with slow growing plants, that's an issue of too much light/ low co2. In non co2 it will get brown and algae if you try to give it too much light.
@@teagancombest6049 algae does love my ferns
@@MidnightGeekSS the 3 main causes are: low flow across them, too much light, or low co2. If you dont ha e co2 I'd eithetraide mylightor shorten the photoperiod. Also java fern can tolerate some level of scrubbing and dilute hydrogen peroxide treatment to remove algae from healthy leaves. Any old dead leaves are goners
💚💚💚
you forgot emersed grow!
Dude! This plant grows so slowly. How am I going to make money off a single plant?
When you get it very healthy, or with a small amount of CO2 it grows much faster
Everyone can grown Java Fern......sure they can. LOLOL. Java Fern hates my tanks. I've tried it in multiple system. It immediately goes into distress mode and throws off babies. The babies grow slowly, but they never look healthy. I use Easy Green, my tanks tend to be overstocked. I run Fluval 3.0's on some of my tanks, some just have shop lights. Doesn't matter. Java Fern hates me.
Well that's unfortunate, usually it's super adaptive, doesn't care too much about soft or hard water.
Did you try to remove the thread above the roots? I have Java fern that still has the thread and it’s dying but when I remove it it starts to grow again
No way it's the size of your head, 🤣🤣