Rotala is a genus of aquatic plants that is highly popular among aquarium enthusiasts due to its unique shape, bright coloration, and ease of care. This plant is native to Southeast Asia, where it can be found in freshwater habitats such as ponds, rivers, and streams. Rotala species have been used in aquascaping for many years, and they are a great addition to any aquarium due to their ability to improve the water quality and provide shelter for fish and other aquatic animals. One of the most popular Rotala species in the aquarium hobby is Rotala indica. This plant has a thin stem and bright green leaves that grow in opposite pairs along the stem. Rotala indica is a fast-growing plant that can reach a height of up to 50cm in the right conditions, making it an ideal choice for aquascaping. It requires moderate to high lighting and a nutrient-rich substrate to grow well. Another popular Rotala species is Rotala rotundifolia. This plant has a more compact growth habit than Rotala indica and can reach a height of up to 30cm. It has small, round leaves that grow in opposite pairs along the stem and can vary in color from green to pink or red. Rotala rotundifolia is a relatively easy plant to care for and does well in a wide range of water conditions. Rotala wallichii is another beautiful Rotala species that is popular among aquarium enthusiasts. This plant has a unique growth habit, with thin, branching stems that can grow up to 40cm in height. The leaves of Rotala wallichii are narrow and pointed, and can vary in color from green to pink or red. This plant requires high lighting and nutrient-rich substrate to grow well, and it is known for its sensitivity to water parameters. One of the key benefits of adding Rotala species to an aquarium is their ability to absorb nutrients from the water, which helps to improve water quality and reduce the risk of algae growth. These plants are also known for their ability to provide shelter for fish and other aquatic animals, which can help to reduce stress and promote a healthy environment. When caring for Rotala species in an aquarium, it is important to provide them with the right conditions for growth. This includes moderate to high lighting, a nutrient-rich substrate, and a stable water temperature and pH. Regular fertilization and water changes are also important to ensure that the plants have access to the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. In conclusion, Rotala species are a great addition to any aquarium due to their unique shape, bright coloration, and ease of care. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced aquarist, these plants are a great choice for aquascaping and can help to improve the health and well-being of your aquatic animals. With the right conditions and care, Rotala species can thrive and provide a beautiful and functional addition to your aquarium

Aquarium plants play a crucial role in creating a healthy and vibrant aquatic ecosystem. They not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the aquarium but also provide numerous benefits to the overall well-being of the aquarium inhabitants. When it comes to selecting aquarium plants, there are two main types: submerged-grown (also known as submersed or aquatic) plants and emersed-grown (also known as emerged or terrestrial) plants. While both types can be used in aquariums, there are distinct advantages to using submerged-grown plants over emersed-grown plants. The choice between using submerged and emersed grown aquarium plants can have a significant impact on the overall success of your aquarium. Both types of plants have their advantages, but submerged grown plants are by far better. Understand the benefits of using plants that are already growing submerged can help guide the decision-making process. Submerged-grown aquarium plants are those that have been grown fully submerged underwater in our facility. These plants are specifically adapted to thrive in aquatic environments, and as such, they offer several benefits when compared to emersed-grown plants. Have you seen how fast emersed plants lose their leaves? And sometimes don’t have the energy to replace them? That is because emersed plants leaves are not developed to survive submerged and therefore need to be replaced as soon as the plant can afford to do so. This add more stress on plants that are being transplanted and might even lead to plant losses. While submerged grown plants do not need to develop new leaves and roots to survive, they already have them in place. To understand this better here are some pointers: When an aquarium plant with emersed leaves is transitioned to a submerged environment, the emersed leaves may die off for several reasons. One of the main reasons is the difference in the way emersed and submerged leaves are adapted to different environments, particularly in terms of their structure and function. Emersed leaves are adapted to grow in air and have a higher stomatal density compared to submerged leaves. This allows them to efficiently exchange gases with the atmosphere, including taking in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) for photosynthesis. However, when emersed leaves are submerged, they are no longer able to access atmospheric CO2, as the gas exchange occurs in the water through diffusion. This change in the availability of CO2 can result in a decrease in the rate of photosynthesis in the emersed leaves, which can lead to reduced energy production and ultimately cause the leaves to die off. Furthermore, emersed leaves are typically adapted to prevent excessive water loss through transpiration. They have specialized structures, such as a waxy cuticle and stomatal regulation, to minimize water loss in air. However, when emersed leaves are submerged, they are exposed to a completely different environment with high water availability, which can result in an increased risk of water uptake and loss. This can cause the emersed leaves to become overly saturated with water, leading to wilting, yellowing, and eventual death. The differences in light adaptation and nutrient uptake between emersed and submerged leaves can also contribute to the death of emersed leaves when submerged. Emersed leaves are usually adapted to higher light intensities and different nutrient availability compared to submerged leaves. When emersed leaves are submerged, they may not receive enough light or the right balance of nutrients, which can lead to reduced photosynthesis, nutrient deficiencies, and ultimately, leaf death. It's important to note that not all aquarium plants with emersed leaves will die off when transitioned to a submerged environment. Some species are more adaptable than others and can gradually acclimate to the new environment over time. However, it's common for emersed leaves to die off after transitioning to a submerged environment due to the differences in their structure, function, and adaptation to different environments. Proper acclimation, lighting, nutrient management, and water quality can all play important roles in minimizing leaf loss and promoting healthy growth of aquarium plants in a submerged environment. In conclusion, using submerged grown aquarium plants in a your aquarium can offer numerous benefits including faster establishment and growth, better adaptation to underwater conditions and easier maintenance. Considering these advantages, submerged grown plants can be an excellent choice for creating a healthy, vibrant, and visually appealing aquascape in an aquarium.

Can I keep plants in my aquarium without doing the expensive soil, lighting and additives??? This cannot be answered with a yes or a no answer. But the shortest answer I can give you is this. Each plant species have their own minimum needs and if you give them this, then yes you might not need to add extra lighting, food or substrate. But remember minimum does not mean growth, it mean survival So let’s start by just stating the basics: All plants need 3 things · Light · Food · Substrate . LIGHTING – this is not the single LED strip or T5/T8 light. You will need more than that as basic lighting. So add more lights in the space you have, remember the more light you have the bigger the variety of plant choices you will have. FOOD – all plants need food, but some plants can get enough to survive if you have fish with them and you feed your fish healthy food regularly. But regularly adding a basic general liquid plant food is still recommended. SUBSTRATE – this is something that is very misunderstood and the one a lot of hobbyists fail on. All plants need a substrate to grow on, but substrate for an epiphyte (Like Anubias, Buce, Ferns) see their substrate as décor (rocks, wood etc), yes they don’t want to be planted in the soil. Other plants need to get a large % of their food in the soil and then the expensive option for soil is actually essential. NOW to answer – Clearly you need to pick hardy plant. What are the hardiest species & what are their needs? I will describe a few here, but we are working hard to give you the species specific details for each one individually on our website. Anubias – These plants are as hardy as you can get! What makes them this extremely hardy is their slow growth. Thus, surviving you biggest mistakes easier than most other plants. They are also epiphytes and take their nutrition out of the water, therefore the natural fish food cycle feed them as well. So basic lighting, food and no soil is need. Bucephalandra – Buce are very similar to Anubias but don’t grow as large as Anubias and do tend to be a bit more sensitive, but not by a lot. Don’t let the price scare you off, Buce is one of the most underrated aquarium plant, especially by beginners. So basic lighting, food and no soil is need. Cryptocoryne – Crypt’s are the most underrated plant in my humble opinion. Most of them are EXTREMELY hardy, they can lose all their leaf’s (melting) and still regrow. You can burry a thick root (rhizome like) in normal aquarium gravel and you can end up with a plant. They will grow without any extra food in normal inert aquarium gravel, as long as the aquarium is well maintained and established. So basic lighting, food and old gravel is need. Ferns – Yet another epiphyte like Anubias and Buce, the common aquarium ferns like Bolbitis, Java fern and their varieties are also quite easy to keep alive. TIP - they tend to make baby’s on old or stressed leaf’s, so don’t discard old leaf’s till they are dead. So basic lighting, food and no soil is need. These are the slow growers. Others are: Amazon swords – They can be easy and difficult, the difficult part is due to the poor condition most are in by the time you plant them and you initially need to use a root tab to get them established. Once established they are a joy. So basic lighting, food and old gravel is need. STEM PLANTS – here you will need to research each specific species as plants in the same genus can include difficult and easy species. PLEASE remember this is the minimum, do some research and try and give them better conditions and they will reward you with faster growth and healthier look. This was a very VERY short intro to this topic, I can fill a book with everything I want to tell you, but sadly space and time prohibit that. If you need more info go on our website - https://www.aquaticplants.co.za/ - and if you still have questions PLEASE feel free to email us with your questions.

BUCE = Bucephalandra what is it about these plants, that is causing such a hype. My love and experience with these beauties started many years ago when I wanted rare plants for my aquarium shop and none of the importers at that time wanted to import it so I could buy it from their lists. At that stage Buce was not available in South Africa and the knowledge on them was limited. But if you know me, I am a sucker for a challenge and took this as a sign that I should take a chance. So I took the risk and went ahead and imported the first shipment. This shipment landed great and from that day onwards I was hooked on these Jewels. Bucephalandra is such an easy and beautiful aquarium plant that’s perfect for all types of hobbyists and aquariums from very basic low tech planted aquariums and nano aquascapes up to very high tech systems. Yes Buce are 1. EXTREMELY EASY 2. so Beautiful that I cannot think of a plant that can compete 3. extremely versatile and can grow in nearly every part of a good planted aquarium 4. Slow growing and that is a good thing because if you are killing it, it will happens slow as well and you have time to rectify your mistake Buce are easy! So why do some hobbyists fail to keep them healthy / happy / alive? In my personal opinion there are mainly 2 reasons 1. Planting 2. Water quality Planting Buce is a very important aspect, it might even be the only important aspect AND THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF HOBBYISTS FAIL! NEVER BURRY THE RHIZOME!!! The rhizome is the thick stem/root that run between the roots and the leaves. If you bury the rhizome you are exposing it to infections and damage by the substrate, eventually leading to total rot. Rather attach the rhizome to a hard substrate like a rock, wood or other aquarium décor (not the heater) where they can grow like they do in nature. But because they are not in a substrate it is essential to regularly add a good quality fertiliser to the water for them to take up their nutritional needs. Water quality – This is important for all plants not only Buce. Buce just ask that you regularly do a water change (NOT a top up = That is NOT a water change!!!), add a good quality water fertiliser and ensure sufficient water movement. What is the difference between a water change and a top up – • When you replace evaporated water = TOP UP = you don’t remove any build-up of toxins, waist, etc. and by allowing these build-ups you make life difficult for plants like Buce that are used to pristine fresh water all the time. • When you physically remove aquarium water (preferably with a gravel syphon – if you don’t have special plant substrate) you are removing these impurity’s and replace them with fresh clean water Water movement is essential to wash away any debris and excess wax build-up on the leaves. This enable the plant to photosynthesise and essentially grow faster and healthier. Side note on water movement – When we receive new Buce we put them in tubs till they are sold and although we do a 100% water change every week, the growth of these clumps are less than 50% when compared with clumps that receive water movement, with the same parameters. It is just not practically viable for me, otherwise all Buce would have been kept in constantly flowing water canals. Buce originate in Borneo where they are found on rocks in streams that can vary from slow flowing to very strong current after good rainfall. They tend to grow emersed (out of water) in areas that are constantly very wet and totally submerged during the wet season. So we receive these plants in emersed form because of 2 main reasons. 1. A plant that grow in emersed form, travel much better and chances of die-off is limited. 2. ALL plants that can grow both emersed and submerged, grow better when emersed because they have better access to light and CO2 especially. There are so many common names and each farm regularly “invent” their own name, making the names confusing and easily indistinguishable from each other. Then there are also the human factor, because when dealing with so many different variety’s you can easily swap plants. Furthermore I have received clumps with 2 or more variety’s mixed together, look at the clumps on our website (WYSIWYG) and you will find a lost soul somewhere. So I do not trust variety names that much. This does not deter from their beauty, it is just something to take into consideration. Buce growth difference between emersed and submerged is one of my favourite talking points on this species. Buce have the unique distinction that it get “sick” when the leaves develop submerged. BUT NO it is NOT SICK. The white-spots on the leaves are one of the 3 attractions to Buce for me. Why they develop these whit spots on their leaves are not known to me but I find it extremely attractive. The 2 other attractions to me is the leave colours and their growth preferences. Buce leaves colours can vary from bright green, purple, red, blue to black depending on the species / variety. Then you get different shapes depending on the species, this can vary from round to extremely elongated and have smooth edges up to very wrinkly. I love to see the development of these colours in a variety over a few of months. But you might even get different colours of the same plant in different aquariums. This is not a exact science as each variety ma react differently, but a general rule of thumb for me was that buce that are under strong light tend to have larger and darker leaves while smaller and lighter leaves tend to form under low tech aquariums. (THEN while I edited this article I realised that the last pictures I took of Buce that I received 4 months ago, all reacted differently. Leave size was still as per my statement BUT the colours did not follow my statement? Thus proving me wrong – why this happen might be the different LED’s I used, the new green room it was kept in, the new fertiliser I was using or another reason I could not even think of now BUT this make it even more exciting) Now how to receive, prep and plant Buce. This can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. Allow me to first explain what we do when we receive Buce and then what I do if I plant Buce in an aquarium. When we receive Buce they have been in a bag with minimal water for anything from 2 to 10 days, yes that long. So not only are they a bit dehydrated, but if there was any bacterial or fungal infection in or on the plant, this infection would have had time to grow. Therefore we have multiple steps before the portions are divided and packed in our green room. Step 1 Visual inspection – we are looking for visible problems and remove these Step 2 We dip the plant in our anti-bacterial / anti-fungal medication, so that while the plant hydrate it also absorb this mix to fight off future internal infections. We have tested this extensively in aquariums and found that a good rinse is sufficient for fish, but suggest shrimp guys to quarantine the plants for a few days first Step 3 Then we wash the plants to remove any debris and dead roots. Step 4 We remove old roots that will be in the way when we pack and ship the plant Step 5 we rinse the plants again Step 6 Final visual inspection – because my staff are not Buce experts and just to be extra safe, I do this step and the next step myself. Step 7 Portioning the plants into clumps Step 8 Placing the clumps in tubs, Add water premixed with a good quality plant food Close and store When you receive the Buce you can know with confidence that your plant was treated with respect and cleaned to the extent that no contaminants are present, but there are still excess roots and some leaves might have been damaged during all the handling, but this is no problem and I will gladly explain the steps I take when I plant Buce and recommend you follow these steps as well. Tools needed are running water, 2 bowls with aquarium water, small scissors, NEW sharp blade (scalpel), towel paper and super glue gel Step 1 Rinse the plant under slow running water for a few seconds, while removing any dead material and inspecting the rhizome for dead parts. Tip – the rhizome would not be soft and squishy, this sometimes happen at the oldest part of the rhizome and need to be removed with a very sharp and clean blade Step 2 Inspecting the plant for any damaged leaves I don’t want to keep by removing it with the scissors, I cut the leave stem as close to the rhizome as I safely can. Then place it in bowl 1 Step 3 Decide where I am going to place the plant and what roots I need to remove from the plant to ensure a good looking placement and get the rhizome as close to the “substrate/decor” as possible Step 4 Take the plant and shake it a bit in the bowl then I proceed to remove all the roots that I don’t need to attach the Buce to the position I decided to place it. TIP = I leave about 3mm of the root still attached to the rhizome, this way I ensure I don’t damage the rhizome. Step 5 I rinse the plant in bowl 2 to ensure I don’t have any debris attached to any part of the plant and all lose roots are removed Step 6 I remove the décor I am going to attach the Buce to and dab it dry with the paper towel. Then I take the plants and dry it with the paper towel as well. TIP= I use a fresh piece of towel every time, this ensue that I don’t contaminated the surface of the plant. Step 7 I place the plant and then add superglue GEL between the plant and the aquascaping and hold it in place for a few seconds. Making sure I don’t get my finger stuck as well. TIP = I use GEL because it is easier to control and I don’t make a mess everywhere – the GEL will not damage the rhizome Step 8 Place the décor back in its place and repeat step 1 to 7 till you are finished This is just a short version

Why do I love Anubias. To answer this I can use the history of an aquarium in my house. I have a low maintenance Bleeding Heart aquarium that is a very deep 3 foot (700mm) that I planted a variety of low maintenance plants in. All went well for a year or 2 and then the lights failed and because lights was set to come on during the day while I was at work (BIG mistake) I only noticed this too late for some plants. But the Anubias did not die, they just stopped growing. I thought that I had time on my side as the plants already died, I only got back to this aquarium 6 months later. This is where my love relationship started, THE ANUBIAS SURVIVED!!! 3 years later the Anubias are still growing in this aquarium without addition of any plant food in any way. Notice the Anubias is attached to wood and don’t touch the inert substrate. So you have to go out of your way to kill Anubias J Anubias can survive and some even thrive and flower under water forever. Anubias is also very heat and water parameter resistant and therefore a nice edition to Discus aquariums. On top of that fish don’t usually predate on the leaf’s or rhizome, enabling cichlid keepers to have a planted aquarium as well. If that is not enough, Anubias love to grow on aquarium décor and accessories, making them great addition to aquariums that are bare bottom or house fish that love to dig. MYTH – All anubias is terrestrial plants and will not survive for long in your aquarium. FALSE – nearly all the species and varieties available on the market will thrive for years and years in your aquarium. Anubias species interbreed extremely easy and every breeder tend to have their own hybrids on their farm and use a name they think might suit their hybrid the best. So please understand that some of the species specific information might not represent your plant 100% but it will definitely be very close. MYTH – Anubias grown emersed (out of water) will lose all their leaves or even might die if you submerge them directly after you bought them IE you must introduce them slowly to their new environment FALSE – Anubias will not lose any leaves due to you planting them directly into your aquarium. They are not like most other aquarium plants that have 2 different leave forms between being submerged or emersed. Their leaves just continue growing. Now let’s look at this genus in more detail: What is the care and needs of Anubias? Water – Obviously this is the most important factor, due to the fact that you want them to grow and thrive in your aquarium. If you ensure your water is good for fish with good filtration and regular water changes, then Anubias is not fussy regarding your aquariums water parameters. But the ideal water parameters for Anubias is: · pH – 6.5 to 7.5 – This make them truly easy and indulgent to your waters pH · KH – Water hardness. This can be from soft 3dKH to hard 7gKH, I used tap water here in Pretoria and Anubias thrive in it. · TEMPERATURE – I have kept Anubias very successfully with discus at high temperatures – IE up to 34°C and also on the other side of the spectrum, I kept Anubias over winter in aquariums that went as low as 16°C. They did not form new leaves under these low temperatures but they did not lose any leaves either. Fertilizer They would appreciate moderate addition of liquid fertilizers, but if you stock fish they can actually grow without fertilizers, albeit much slower. Addition of CO2 is not needed at all, but like all plants they will appreciate it BUT excessive ORGANIC material with over feeding of nutrients, can lead to holes in the leafs. If your leaf form is arrow shaped and my articles suggest that the rhizome been buried, then I would recommend CO2 for optimum health. Lighting As you must have realised by now, light can be very low. But a recommended light level is 0.5 to 0.66 Watts of T8 lighting per liter of water (translated to moderate lighting) If you give them too much light you will start to develop problems with algae on their leaves. If you lighting is too intense for them, then you can move them to spots underneath overhanging plants and those inevitable dark (lighting) spots that develop. BUT and this is important, they hate high lightening conditions. You will notice leaf deformation if lighting is too intense. MYTH – Anubias stop growing in aquariums or grow very slow. FALSE – Anubias do grow slower than normal stem plants, but under good conditions they can reward you with a new leave every 2 weeks. In my book that is not to shabby at all. Placement Anubias is an epiphyte (plant that don’t need to be planted in substrate) and therefore will prefer to be attaching to décor. Use cotton thread as it dissolve naturally after a while. You can plant the roots in substrate but ensure that the rhizome is NOT BURIED as this can easily lead to rot. Anubias come in a massive variety of sizes and leave shapes, this allow you to decorate your aquarium with anubias anywhere you like to use them. This is basically from the front (tiny foreground varieties) to varieties that can actually grow out of your aquarium up to 50cm. THERE IS AN ANUBIAS FOR ANY NEED you might have for it. Adjustment. The great news is Anubias does not go through an emersed to submerged stage IE. They don’t throw of their old leafs for new leafs when submerged in your aquarium, the existing leafs adjust to the new environment. But as with all golden moments there must be a thorn somewhere and Anubias thorn is GROWTH, Anubias is a slow grower but if you give it a good environment you can expect a new leaf every 2 to 3 week. Myth – Anubias need special substrate or are extremely picky about their environment. FALSE – not at all they are actually one of the easiest aquarium plants on the market. Varieties/species that need SPECIAL CARE All of the general varieties and species available in South Africa are easy and great additions to your aquarium, especially if it is part of the A. barteri or nana groups (90% if generally available plants). Then there are the species that need special attention and these are normally marketed towards specialists. I found a good general identification for a hobbyist visiting their local aquarium shop is to look at the leave shape. From Round to elongated leaf shapes are normally very safe. Leaves that are arrow shaped IE have extra lobs/ears next to the stem, must rather be researched firsts before you buy them. Planting TIPS · Don’t cover the rhizome with your soil · Good at growing on rock, wood and other aquarium décor · Use super glue or cotton strings to attach the roots to the décor giving the plant time to grow onto the décor by itself. NOTES: If your Anubias suddenly loose leaves or the growth tip start to rot, you need to investigate anything that might have drastically changed. This is surely an indication of something “going south” fast and all your aquarium inhabitants will share the fate of the anubias soon if you don’t act fast.

Java fern types You get loads of different Java ferns, but sadly most are only sporadically available in South Africa. This species - Microsorum pteropus - have the biggest variety in leave forms of this whole genus and you will find a leave form for nearly every aquarium need. This combined with their resilience make them an absolute must for beginner aquariums Note that although called a Java fern, the hardiest one of the all "Java ferns" available are actually Microsorum latifolia 1. Standard Microsorum pteropus - Available here - https://www.aquaticplants.co.za/product-page/microsorum-pteropus-java-fern The one where the pet trade's journey with this species started. 2. Thorn’s hammer - Available here - https://www.aquaticplants.co.za/product-page/microsorum-pteropus-thor-s-hammer a. A very rare “Java fern” with thin leafs that split at the tip to form a hammer shape. If you think about it, this variety was originally developed in Poland, therefore the appropriate name. 3. Trident a. Again a RARE and smaller variety of Java fern. The term “Trident” is derived from the word tripartite - consisting of three parts. Therefore the leaves normally split into 3 parts but it will also display leafs with single or double forms. Adding to that, leafs are also narrower, giving you a spectacular display. 4. Narrow leave a. As the name describe this is the narrow leaf version of Java fern and with its very narrow leafs a good attraction point. The leaves only grow out to a maximum of 1.25cm wide. 5. Petite a. Another rare be autiful Java fern. This variety have a thick leaf structure giving it a dense forest feeling, ideal for very shy fish to hide in. With it’s pointed, thinner leafs than Java fern that are a bright green colour. Adding to that the heavy texture on the leaves make it a great addition to your aquarium. 6. Philippine a. Philippine variety differ from other Java ferns in its water requirements as well. It is found in brackish water and therefore don’t like soft and low pH water. So ensure your dGH is above 10 and pH above 6.6 (not a problem for most South African tap water) and you will still have a VERY hardy and beautiful plant. Signs that your pH or dGH is to low, is the formation of black areas or holes in the leaves. b. Another rare beautiful Java fern. This variety have a thick leaf structure giving it a dense forest feeling, ideal for very shy fish to hide in. With it’s pointed, thinner leafs than Java fern that are a bright green colour. Adding to that the heavy texture on the leaves make it a great addition to your aquarium. 7. Philippine mini a. A very attractive member of this “family”. The leaves of Philippine is already smaller than normal and this variety’s leafs are even smaller and narrower, as the name describe. Extremely suitable for smaller aquariums or planted as a bunch in a larger aquarium they are beautiful. The leaves have “fresh” green hues and a lovely pattern on its surface. b. Philippine variety differ from other Java ferns in its water requirements as well. It is found in brackish water and therefore don’t like soft and low pH water. So ensure your dGH is above 10 and pH above 6.6 (not a problem for most South African tap water) and you will still have a VERY hardy and beautiful plant. Signs that your pH or dGH is to low is the formation of black areas or holes in the leaves. 8. Black Forest a. A very new addition to the “Java fern” family. It look like a cross between a normal java fern and a narrow leaf version with the difference that the leaves are thicker and have a ruffled texture. This ruffled texture is along the veins that are darker and more pronounced. 9. Microsorum latifolia - Available here - https://www.aquaticplants.co.za/product-page/microsorum-pteropus-latifolia a. With its large leafs (largest of the “Java ferns”), low demand and resistance to fish eating its leafs, this fern is one of the best “Java ferns” for beginners. b. The leafs are a bright green with dark green veins, giving you a beautiful contrast. We will always strive to have some Java ferns in stock for you. AND We will strive to find and import the rare varieties for you ;) CURRENTLY (2020-09-15) we have Microsorum Latifolia, Microsorum pteropus and THOR'S hammer in stock for you :)

Java Ferns – one of the most underappreciated aquarium plants. If you know how resilient Anubias is, but are looking for something a bit different. Then look no further than the Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus) range. This is also an epiphyte and therefore need to be attached to your aquariums décor. They do not like there rhizome to be buried in soil, but if you must plant them in your substrate, you might not get any growth out of them. WHY? Well although they appear very delicate, they are extremely resilient beginner’s plants! On top of that their water requirements are very wide and they will NOT punish you for most beginners mistakes. Water In nature they grow in moving streams and therefore will appreciate water movement over their leaves for oxygen and over their rhizomes for debris removal. pH from 6 to 7.5 are all acceptable for this versatile plant Hardness – a KH between 3 and 8 are all great So if you care for your fish as you need to do, regarding regular water changes and filtration, then your Java Ferns will reward you with beautiful growth. Fertilizer They would appreciate moderate addition of liquid fertilizers, but if you stock fish they can actually grow without fertilizers, albeit much slower. Addition of CO2 is not needed, but like all plants they will appreciate it Lighting As you must have realised by now, light can be very low. But a recommended light level is 0.35 to 0.5 Watts of T8 lighting per liter of water (translated to moderately low lighting) If you give them too much light you will start to develop problems with algae on their leaves. If you lighting is too intense for them, then you can move them to spots underneath overhanging plants and those inevitable dark (lighting) spots that develop. Planting tips · Don’t cover the rhizome with your soil · Good at growing on rock, wood and other aquarium décor · Ensure a little water movement Interesting fact Old leave can become the source of 100s of new baby plants. Yes you heard me correct. As older leaves start to decay, loads of small baby ferns develop from the sori (small spots on the underside of the leaves that contains the spores of the plant) and if left to develop a bit, can be attached to a new location. It is that easy to multiply your plant. So dont remove older leaves, you can even cut the leave loose and let it float to have a bigger chance of success. Invest in this enduring plant that can reward you for may years in your aquarium jurney!!!