# Source for aqua fern Trichomanes javanicum? Size question too



## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Does anyone know a source for "Aqua Fern" (Trichomanes javanicum)

They used to sell it at Petco in a plastic tube but I can't find it anymore. Preliminary online search has been fruitless so far (maybe if I probe a little more but it's not looking good so far)

ALSO, does anyone know the maximum size of this fern?

Thanks


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## Ian Hiler (Apr 9, 2009)

Try Aquarium Zen, in your city. They are one of the best aquatic plant sources in the US. If they don't have what you need they will get it. Plus there is a ton of eye candy when you go to visit...

Aquarium Zen

Ian


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## cam1941 (Jan 16, 2014)

That store looks awesome, wish it was closer.

Just happened to see this vid after reading this... 












Ian Hiler said:


> Try Aquarium Zen, in your city. They are one of the best aquatic plant sources in the US. If they don't have what you need they will get it. Plus there is a ton of eye candy when you go to visit...
> 
> Aquarium Zen
> 
> Ian


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## mayanjungledog (Jun 5, 2017)

I've been to Aquarium Zen. It's an awesome store for planted tanks (my other main hobby). Definitely worth the visit, but I highly doubt they'll have T. javanicum. It's not a true aquatic plant, but is perfect for a vivarium. I'd keep trying the big box stores.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

mayanjungledog said:


> I've been to Aquarium Zen. It's an awesome store for planted tanks (my other main hobby). Definitely worth the visit, but I highly doubt they'll have T. javanicum. It's not a true aquatic plant, but is perfect for a vivarium. I'd keep trying the big box stores.


Thanks for the tip. My goal, as you mentioned, is to grow it emersed in a terrarium setup. Googling the species reveals some in situ images of it growing as a lithophyte next to streams


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Ian Hiler said:


> Try Aquarium Zen, in your city. They are one of the best aquatic plant sources in the US. If they don't have what you need they will get it. Plus there is a ton of eye candy when you go to visit...
> 
> Aquarium Zen
> 
> Ian


Thanks for the suggestion. I've never heard of them. Their store does look awesome...I could end up spending too much money there


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## Betta132 (May 12, 2012)

Petco has them, intermittently. They're related to Java fern and they don't like to have their rhizome buried very much, but I don't know much else about them. I have one in my long-fiber sphagnum culture tray, and it's done seemingly nothing in the past few months, but upon closer inspection it has 5 tiny leaf buds unfurling. It's lost all but one of the leaves it had on purchase, though. I think it might be adapting to lower humidity.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Betta132,

Trichomanes javanicum is only "related to" java fern (Microsorum sp) in the sense that _all_ ferns are related to each other. As far as ferns go they are very distant relations: Trichomanes is in a different Order than Microsorum.


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## Betta132 (May 12, 2012)

Ooh, my bad, I actually have something different. Please disregard my previous post.


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## Dr.Hoatzin (Jul 28, 2014)

They had another Trichomanes, but I don't believe javanicum is aquatic. Been trying to source some for my pals but it hasn't been on the wholesale lists from the Florida farms for a year or two.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## Dr.Hoatzin (Jul 28, 2014)

Checked my notes, what I got from Aquarium Zen was actually Hymenasplenium obscurum (formerly Crepidomanes auriculatum). Much nicer than Trichomanes javanicum, a true aquatic that does well submersed and emersed. It may die back in low tech setups though but will eventually and super slowly recover.

Max size I have personally seen on Trichomanes is 10", they can probably get bigger. You'll be very fortunate if you can get the Hymenasplenium to half that size.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

Dr.Hoatzin said:


> Checked my notes, what I got from Aquarium Zen was actually Hymenasplenium obscurum (formerly Crepidomanes auriculatum). Much nicer than Trichomanes javanicum, a true aquatic that does well submersed and emersed. It may die back in low tech setups though but will eventually and super slowly recover.
> 
> Max size I have personally seen on Trichomanes is 10", they can probably get bigger. You'll be very fortunate if you can get the Hymenasplenium to half that size.
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


Thanks for the info.

I specifically am looking for ferns to grow in humid terrariums and paludariums, and often the aquarium trade has some cool stuff. (I'm currently transitioning a Bolbitis heudelotii to emersed growth, just for fun, but it will eventually get way too big for any tank I have)

Anyway, I think people stopped selling T. javanicum because the word got out that it isn't aquatic. What a shame, as I think it is such a beautiful plant (as mentioned, if you google it and look at images, there are some really nice shots of it growing as a lithophyte in streams). I will keep trying to track it down, hopefully someone else will see this at some point and point me in the right direction.

Regarding Hymenasplenium - I am surprised that Aquarium Zen had such a weird, off the wall plant. I have never even heard of that fern. After a bit of research, I discovered (not surprisingly),the latin name appears to be confused with another fern. A lot of plants in the aquarium trade seem to have the same name as some similar-looking plant which is not aquatic. H. obscurum is a terrestrial fern completely. It appears the aquatic fern is actually Asplenium cf. normale (but who knows for sure if that is even really accurate). It looks to get pretty large, but probably stays smaller when submersed, as with many amphibious plants

Thanks again to you and everyone else who commented. Please let me know if you find a source for T. javanicum (and in fact, please let me know if you have a source for any other small and cool ferns )


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## Dr.Hoatzin (Jul 28, 2014)

I'm not surprised Aquarium Zen had that fern, Steve brings in a nice selection of plants including some very uncommon ones. As for the fern I mentioned, it is definitely submersible--I've had it submersed for over two years, with a few trimmings growing out emersed as well. Like many plants, leaves change for emersed form but it's an attractive filmy fern in both forms. It's still being sold in the hobby as Crepidomanes auriculatum, but sources have told me Hymenasplenium obscurum is the correct name (so I'll stick to that until Cavan tells me otherwise, ha).

I have a few people around the US who are looking for Trichomanes javanicum for me; if that fails I can get it directly from Asia. Feel free to PM me with your contact info and I'll let you know when I have some. It amuses me that this was so widespread when I didn't want it and now has become so scarce, but so it goes.


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