# Nano ferns



## 9darlingcalvi (Oct 11, 2014)

I was wondering what fens stay small enough to fit in a 2.5 gallon, I was think 1 or 2 a small hide, moss and leaf litter. I was hoping to find a Minnesota native fern for my baby western chorus frog


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## JPP (Mar 25, 2015)

Very few ferns are small enough for such a tiny enclosure.

That said, please do not try to stuff some poor frog into such a tiny enclosure. This was touched upon yesterday in your other thread: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/beginner-discussion/275161-2-5-vivarium.html
A 2.5 gallon tank actually costs just as much as a 10 gallon in most pet stores. In fact, 10 gallons are cheaper than 2.5 gallon tanks during the dollar-per-gallon sales some pet stores regularly have.


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## 9darlingcalvi (Oct 11, 2014)

I already have it and it's for a new morphed frog


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## Drteeth (Sep 17, 2016)

I have a Nephrolepis exaltata 'Elzevir' that I was told stays small and clumps. There's also Lemmaphyllum microphyllum but that is more of a creeping epiphyte that does not look as "ferny" as the Nephrolepis. 

If you come up with anything else since you posted this, please share - I'm always looking for smaller ferns and moss to fill in my tanks.


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## theroc1217 (Jun 5, 2012)

9darlingcalvi said:


> I was wondering what fens stay small enough to fit in a 2.5 gallon, I was think 1 or 2 a small hide, moss and leaf litter. I was hoping to find a Minnesota native fern for my baby western chorus frog


Minnesota native ferns are VERY hard to grow outside of their habitat. Polypodium virginianum is the smallest viable species, and even that can be very tricky. They live on rocks and use moss to wick moisture from crevices and absorb the morning dew. Not compatible with amphibian conditions.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

9darlingcalvi said:


> I was wondering what fens stay small enough to fit in a 2.5 gallon, I was think 1 or 2 a small hide, moss and leaf litter. I was hoping to find a Minnesota native fern for my baby western chorus frog


The Adder's tongue fern ( Ophioglossum sp) might be the perfect fern. Depending on the look you want. This is a small native fern. The fonds are tough, stiff, straps, that withstand, the constant pouncing, done by your frog. Though my findings, it does extremely well in a terrarium setting. Here's a pic of mine


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

only problem I can see is finding a source for that fern--which looks pretty interesting...small, structural, and a creeper....what's not to like?


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

Elaphoglossum peltatum (there are several forms available) is a great mini-fern that thrives in warm, humid conditions. You can find it online (I recommend Charles Alford's website).

Ferns native to Minnesota will *not* be suitable for an indoor terrarium. I cannot stress enough that trying to grow them inside is a death sentence for whatever fern you find - if not immediately then certainly after a while. Plants adapted to cold/frigid climates don't know how to regulate their growth in ever-warm conditions and eventually expire. The same goes, I should mention, for any Minnesota-native frogs as well. Keeping them for observation during the warm season is fine - but as soon as conditions outside start to depart from your indoor temps (sometime in fall), you should return them to nature so they can synch properly with the season.


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## theroc1217 (Jun 5, 2012)

Does that go for Polypodium virginianum as well? I've had success growing it since spring, but am wondering if it needs its cold period.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

P. virginianum is at least worth a try... though I'm suspiscious that only plants from the very warmest parts of the range would do well long term in a terrarium that's always room temperature or warmer. It comes from such a large area (Yukon to Alabama) it would depend some on the home range. A plant from the southeastern coastal plane (an area with milder winter) might do well enough - but plants from areas with a longer, colder winter would not likely grow as well. This is because of some combination of the plant needing a cold dormancy to help regulate growth paired with an increase in the activity of pathogens like fungi or bacteria that would normally be suppressed by the cold of winter. The more natural conditions you can mimic - (an unheated room that cools off at night) the more success you'll have long term with temperate climate plants.
It's also important to keep in mind that even a "chilly" room-temperature during winter is *much* warmer than outside temps for anyone outside the tropics - so even if your terrarium temps dips into the sixties at night, you're still keeping a "warm" terrarium when it comes to native plants.


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## sminarski (Oct 21, 2014)

Rabbits foot ferns stay fairly small, pretty hardy too.


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## theroc1217 (Jun 5, 2012)

kimcmich said:


> P. virginianum is at least worth a try... though I'm suspiscious that only plants from the very warmest parts of the range would do well long term in a terrarium that's always room temperature or warmer. It comes from such a large area (Yukon to Alabama) it would depend some on the home range. A plant from the southeastern coastal plane (an area with milder winter) might do well enough - but plants from areas with a longer, colder winter would not likely grow as well. This is because of some combination of the plant needing a cold dormancy to help regulate growth paired with an increase in the activity of pathogens like fungi or bacteria that would normally be suppressed by the cold of winter. The more natural conditions you can mimic - (an unheated room that cools off at night) the more success you'll have long term with temperate climate plants.
> It's also important to keep in mind that even a "chilly" room-temperature during winter is *much* warmer than outside temps for anyone outside the tropics - so even if your terrarium temps dips into the sixties at night, you're still keeping a "warm" terrarium when it comes to native plants.


I'll be leaving it outside during the winter. I have a cold frame to offset the fact that it's not planted in the ground, but still letting it hit those cold temps.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

"I'll be leaving it outside during the winter. I have a cold frame to offset the fact that it's not planted in the ground, but still letting it hit those cold temps."

Ah then, you should be pretty good in that case. Your temperate-native plants will certainly appreciate it


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