[nonamethefish]

Thats the way it seems to be in my tank. I recently bought about 7 inches of rhizome for 3 dollars out of a box of mixed plants. I cut it in two, with the smaller piece in my ten gallon heterandria formosa tank. The other one ended up in my 46 gallon bowfront, which is not a "planted" tank yet(30 watts on a 3 year old bulb). I have a normal java fern attached to a piece of drfitwood that is just doing nothing(except growing more rhizome and producing some slightly smaller leaves). The Windelov, however, is also producing tons of baby plants on its leaves. Is something wrong with the plant? The small baby plants are growing on the laced part of the leaf.

 

[C_perugiae]

My windelov always reproduced at the same rate that my regular java fern did when I had them both growing in a 30 gallon. The plantlets developed both on the lacy part and the main parts of the leaf, from what I remember... but that was a few months ago and most of the time, I didn't see the plantlets until they were floating around.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your Windelov. If it's producing babies like crazy and it doesn't look bad, it's probably just really happy. That plant looks great in a big bunch, so just keep tying those babies... you could have a really impressive ball of Windelov if you wait long enough.

 

[nonamethefish]

Well, I guess I could be a little more optimistic when I see like 20 of them growing on one of the older leaves :wink: and another 5 or so opn the newer one, and hints at where all the rest are going to be...

Any suggestions on keeping these in place on driftwood? I don't know how much "bigger" they will get till they break free.

 

[ShaneSmith]

I've always wondered if cutting the leaf that has a bunch of babies on it and tank it to a peice of driftwood would work. WOuldn't the babies just grow onto the driftwood as the big leave rots away? I've been trying to do this buy my mother leaf wont die its been months!

 

[nonamethefish]

Hmm, thats a pretty good idea. Perhaps cut the leaf below the lowerst baby and tie it on?

 

[Bert H]

You can cut off the mother leaf and tie it onto whatever substrate (wood/rock) and the babies will frow from it. You get a rather thicker, bigger fern this way. I did this with a leaf from mine one time and it eventually grew to take up about 1/4 of my 29 gal tank before I took it out and sold it to my lfs. I got $12 for it, the most I have ever gotten from anything before! Of course, it was probably sold for $30-$35.

 

[gpodio]

It does grow a little faster than regular java fern. You can just pull the new baby plants off the mother leaf. I use fishing line or staples to hold the roots on the wood, it doesn't take long for the plant to attach itself. The fishing line needs to be removed, the staple disintegrates within a month.

Hope that helps
Giancarlo Podio

 

[nonamethefish]

I'll have to try that soon. Thanks!


Also, does anyoen here own/ have experience with "Tropica" java fern?

 

[nonamethefish]

I cut off the fringed portions and tied them on. A few larger plantlets broke off and are swaying lazily on the bottom. Everyone else is doing fine.

 

[hubbahubbahehe]

I, too, have noticed that it grows faster than regular java fern. I never gave it much thought until I saw this posting. That's very odd...hmm....