Phil ... Java Fern and Crypts?

[JeffreyRichard]

have you had any trouble with Java Fern and Crypts in Softwater tanks? What is the lowest Hardness (PPM) and pH you'd recommend for healthy ferns and crypts? I'm planning on setting up a biotop for some Chocolate and Licorice Gouramis in a 20 Long ... they need very soft acid water (not unlike wild discus).

Can you shed any advice regarding getting Java Fern to thrive? I've been able to be successful with crypts, swords, vals, rotalia, hygro, but never JFs (tried in a 1/2 dozen tanks).

Thanks

[ari_wh]

Hi,

I have very softwater here (GH <1) and I found that my java ferns are thriving well, so is my crypts. In fact, this is the first time I had any luck with crypts. For some reason before this, they never come back after dying off due to replanting. And my pH is 6.4.

I also found that it is almost impossible for me to kill my java ferns... I have given a lot away to friends and I still have heaps, and they are all originated from one single plants. Although, I heard they don't like CO2. Not so sure about that though.

HTH

Regards, Ari :)

[RAWesolowski]

Jeff,

Bounce over to: www.tropica.com (http://www.tropica.com). Site has a great species list with pix of each plant. Pick your poison from among the crypts. Most appear to be tolerant of any water with any light level.

Tropical Fish Hobbyist (TFH) recently ran a very good article on crypts that is worthwhile to track down.

[Wahter]

Jeff,

In my experience, java fern doesn't compete well with fast growing plants (such as stem plants - rotala sp., ludwigia sp., hygrophila sp., etc...) or big nutrient hogs like large sword plants when placed together with these plant species. I've lost several java ferns this way - they just started getting brown patches and rotted away rapidly. Keep in mind java fern roots are a bit different than the roots of most other plants - they mainly cling onto surfaces.

I eventually have been able to keep java ferns alive and well in tanks with bolbitis, cryptocoryne sp., and anubias sp. - basically slow growing plants.

If you've not seen this page yet, it's very good for photos of crypts:
http://users.bart.nl/~crypts/index.html

HTH.

[ChloroPhil]

Heh...I miss a night and others answer the questions for me.....I kinda like that. :)

Jeff,

Java Fern will grow well in just about any type of water as will the common crypts. I've had some success with ferns, but mostly dismal failures. The few times I've done well with ferns are invariably the tanks that I ignore or that are low light/relatively low tech. The good news about that is the Crypts will thrive under those conditions too.


The trick with Crypts is to keep the water quality VERY consistant. Some can be really sensitive to change and will melt at the slightest disturbance. Other times they don't seem to mind if a tornado comes through.

I do recommend adding Ca and Mg to the tank with crypts. My water's SUPER soft and I've had some strange malformations in tanks without Ca and Mg supplimentation. Once I started adding Ca and Mg the crypts did really well and seemed to be less sensitive to changes in their environment.

What Crypts would I recommend? Any that you can get your hands on. I'm partial to C. crispulata v. balansae and C. walkeri myself, but they're all good. They're a lot of fun to grow emersed too. Peter Bradley writes some good articles about plants in Practical Fishkeeping. I had the pleasure of speaking with him about making aquariums out of large plastic candy jugs. You can grow some awesome emersed crypts on your windowsill in those jugs too.

Check out The Crypts Pages for comprehensive Crypt info:
http://users.bart.nl/~crypts/

You'll be able to find really specific location information for just about any species of crypt you could want. It's the best site for info for a biotope based on crypts.

Best,
Phil