FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Here is another picture of the mystery stuff.



pugperson attached this image:

Roooooooots! See that lil tiny baby plantlet on the left side of the second pic? It's got roots the same as underneath the mother plants leaves. Or, at least, since those thingies look the same as the roots on baby plantlets, I assume they're roots.

Perhaps because java fern prefers to attach to driftwood and the like, it needs more roots to gather nutrients from the water column? I know plenty of stem plants have lil rootlets coming from the stem in midwater....

~Meow. Thus spoke the cat.~

Thanks Kitten, I sure hope it is rootlets. Couldn't figure out what in the heck that stuff was.

Yup plantlets roots .
I always have had my javas do that right after I get them...might be a stress reaction.

Either tie down the leaves and let it root to the wood ect or wait till the plantlets are freefloating (where they will no doubt find their way into the intake of you filter >.< ) and tie down. I have some that came from a piece of java I bought about a year ago that are pretty decent sized.

^_^

[hr width='40%']"I'm alright, I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe"

iv gad java fern for yrs. after they atach to sumut they beguin to reproduce and tiny green seeds apear at the bottom sides of the leaves then they bugin to grow roots and leaves. when they get big enough they would fall off or u can take them off ur self. and attach them to another piece of drift wood.

- Oh Joy! Babies!!!

I never seen mine produce, but got some new ones and they started very quickly after I got them in my tank. I almost "cleaned" them off . Now I've got loads of java kids .

Hee. Mine throw off baby plantlets at a rate of knots in the Panda Fun Palace™. They're almost as rampant at reproduction as Mata Hari and her suitors

Once upon a time, before I distributed it to various recipients, I had a kilo of spare Java Ferns in a large bag. They continued growing even in the bag. Seems the only way that they die in my hands is if I use them for testing tactical nuclear weapons - they can survive just about anything else!



Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

I got brave and got some java swords. I attached them to a piece of driftwood and they seem to be fine. However, today I checked the tank and there were funny growths on the bottom side of the leaves. Are they algea, or what? They are a reddish brown. I am attaching pictures to help with the diagnosis.



pugperson attached this image:

My java fern is reproducing nicely too! When a leaf is dislodged or broken off this seems to make the freefloating piece start making babies! /:'

SW Pics: http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dave_slade@btinternet.com/
Saltwater tank 125G-30G sump with caulerpa refugium.
yellow tang, atlantic anemone, 11 turbo snails, 4 nassarius snails, 12 various hermits, 3 cleaner shrimp, 2 occelaris clown, yellow

I can see little leaves forming on the opposite side of where the rootlets were, so I am looking forward to little plants. I will look around for small pieces of driftwood to attach the java plants to.

Good to know. After my plants were shooting out babies like crazy for months, I thought I might be doing something wrong. Somehow, the babies were the perfect amount to plant the rest of the 10g though. Maybe they have ESP and knew the other side of the tank looked bare.

I've only ever noticed my javas sprouting babies after I get them. Even the ones that have been in the tank for a few years. Otherwise they just put out runners and more leaves along the rhizome. Since cutting the rhizome is another way of propagating that might have something to do with what triggers the plantlets...although that's pure speculation on my part :%).

^_^


[hr width='40%']"I'm alright, I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe"

Babies!!! My favorite part about Javas. I do have one question, while we're on the subject. How often do Java Ferns sprout little ones? I haven't seen any in a while, and the babies are still too small to have more babies. I've just got this piece of driftwood in my other planted tank begging for Javas.

If you have a smaller tank, you can use the Nutrafin system (up to 20 gallons). But, buy your own yeast and baking soda. You use 1/4 tsp yeast (check the date), and 1/2 tsp of baking soda, with sugar filled to the mark (about 1/2 cup) and then water filled to the mark. Plug it in and about 36-48 hours later, you're bubbling at full steam. The bubbles shrink as they go up the ladder meaning they are distributing slowly into the water column providing co2 that the plants use and the algae doesn't . It makes for vigorous growth. I was one of the last great holdouts, over two years before I took the plunge. I was intimidated by DIY, so I bought a "DIY" kit already built by Hagen. Bottom line is that DIY kits use yeast to make co2.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8981&Ntt=co%2D2&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2004&Nty=1

I'll admit, that the cannister is a bit small and a 2L soda bottle would be better. But, the ladder is really a nice, convenient way to distribute the co2. I will likely use their ladder with my own bottle.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 18-Apr-2005 12:21

DIY CO2 = 2 Liter soda bottle, airline hose, check valve, sugar, water, baking yeast, and optional barb adapter.

Barb setup is pictured [link=here]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Planted%20Aquaria/55803.html" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link]
Otherwise just drill a hole in the soda bottle cap, run the airline thru and silicone very very very well....do a couple since they seem to crack their seal a lot .

The actual mix that you use varies some, generally 2 cups sugar 6 cups warm water and 1/2tsp yeast.

^_^[hr width='40%']"I'm alright, I'm alright
It only hurts when I breathe"[/font]

Ok, now comes one of those questions where everyone states there is no stupid question until this one is asked. What is DIY CO2?

I can attest to the java moss-co2 combo. My java moss never looked so great as soon as I started dosing DIY co2. All these new branchlets emerged, pointing upward, making it so pretty.

As a tip...java loves CO2 even though it's low light. If you've got a tank that can handle DIY CO2 I'd suggest giving it a try if you havent got it already .

^_^




[hr width='40%']"Put your soul in the water,
And join me for a swim tonight"

Great! Thanks for the good news. The only plants I have been successful with are java moss. The anarcharis that I have tried in my tank has always just slowly died.