Help with planting!

[Bbgobs]

Hi recently i set up a tank for my girlfriend as she loves those tiny fishes , (maybe the 2x size of guppy fry types)



i thought of making a bushy forest background using java fern ONLY as this tank wont be having soil , co2 etc . Just a light for it to maintain .

The problem was whenever i tried planting them together to make it as bushy as possible but the plants will always come out and now i have to seperate them like this ^top picture.

Any ideas to make them stay as i plant ? I didnt bury their roots so much as for what i know that java fern root cannot be bury . Any advices ??


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[Urban Aquaria]

You can tie the java ferns to small pebbles, rocks or pieces of wood, then bury those objects into the substrate, leaving only the rhizome and leaves above. It will look as if the java ferns are just sitting on the substrate. That will solve your planting issues.

[Bbgobs]

You can tie the java ferns to small pebbles, rocks or pieces of wood, then bury those objects into the substrate, leaving only the rhizome and leaves above. It will look as if the java ferns are just sitting on the substrate. That will solve your planting issues.

Thanks bro! I was wondering if those lfs that sells co2 tablets oceanfree brand works for this plant ? Will it grow faster ?


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[Urban Aquaria]

Thanks bro! I was wondering if those lfs that sells co2 tablets oceanfree brand works for this plant ? Will it grow faster ?

Well, java ferns do respond well to Co2 injection and can grow faster in high tech environments... but Co2 tablets are a rather inconsistent source of Co2 and you can't really control its levels accurately, so they tend to have very little to no effect.

It's still better to go for actual Co2 injection systems if you want to really boost plant growth.

The other alternative is to dose liquid carbon products (ie. Seachem Excel), although it may not be as effective as actual Co2 injection, liquid carbon supplementation can help to improve plant growth to a certain degree. Just have to be careful not to overdose it too much as the active chemical ingredient can be toxic to certain plants and livestock at high concentrations.

[fireblade]

this tank is too small for java fern ...
do not plant the fern in soil, as it will die... tie them to lava rocks or wood and place them closely together to create the effect you want.