# filmy fern help



## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

i just picked up a nice looking filmy fern (of course being sold as an aquatic plant) and would like some general care info.

also its currently housed outside my propagation tank since there were marbled newts in the tank it was housed in at the store, and im nervous to clean it the way i normally do (with an oxidizer) because of its delicate appearance.

any help is appreciated

james


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

can you take a picture???


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

james67 said:


> i just picked up a nice looking filmy fern (of course being sold as an aquatic plant) and would like some general care info.
> 
> also its currently housed outside my propagation tank since there were marbled newts in the tank it was housed in at the store, and im nervous to clean it the way i normally do (with an oxidizer) because of its delicate appearance.
> 
> ...


WOW, nobody has offered any help yet?! James, I assume you are referring to Trichomanes javanicum (the 'aqua fern' haha)? I can tell you, they need 100% humidity and/or need to have constant misting or splashing water. In the wild this species grows on rocks near and in streams and rivers, where it is constantly wet and sometimes submerged for short periods. I believe the roots are pretty wiry or woody because they are used to grasp the rocks they grow on. So I'd imagine you would want very well drained substrate or tie it to some wood or something. These areas are generally shady, so medium artificial light should suffice. Hope this helps!
Also observe the photo of this fern in the wild on this page:

Aquatic & semi-aquatic plants of Borneo - Page 5 - Photography - Aquatic Plant Central


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

thanks for the response, and you nailed the ID on the head.i figured it needed to be kept very wet. the "roots" are quite woody as you mention. ive kept it green and in the same state i received it for a couple weeks with it sitting in a couple inches of water. 

im very interested in how yo clean this plant.
any info on this is GREATLY appreciated.
james


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I've gotten them in the past and had fun with them in frog tanks. I usually clean them off (if you got the one in the tube from Petco make sure ALL that crystal stuff is off!!) and then lightly wedge the woody roots in between some rocks at the water's edge, so the ends of the roots are touching the water's surface and can wick it to the rest of the plant. They grow pretty happily, and I've also had them on drip walls, and attached them to treefern panels 

Now if only more people would grow them in frog tanks and stop drowning the poor things... I got my first few as accidentals in fish tanks after the people found out they'd just drown over time.


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## flyingSquirrel (Aug 22, 2011)

James, as far as cleaning the plant, I assume you mean disinfecting it? As you mentioned using an oxidizer, that would probably be to safeguard against chytrid and the like? I would also feel a bit nervous about doing something like that considering the delicate appearance and the filmy ferns' reputation. However on the other hand, I would think 2 things. 1. The Trichomanes is pretty common and you could easily obtain another one if the oxidizer fries it, and 2. If you soak the fern in water for a while before doing the oxidizer bath, that might help a little.

My thoughts...


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I can't really help with this one, I just know they are MUCH more sensitive to bleach and the like. I haven't figured out the best way to safely clean them without killing them. The method I'm testing (and typically have the most luck with) is removing the fronds and just disinfecting the rhizome. If you didn't kill it, it should grow back from that.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I'd venture a guess hat the rhizome will sprout new fronds if you fry the originals during bleaching. Some people use a vinegar/ baking soda soak instead of bleach, but I would much rather try a 90% EtOH wash first. It should do a good job of disinfecting without the associated tissue damage that bleaching causes


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I've had much better luck using the ethanol as well. In regards to tissue culture you'd usually want to use the smallest piece you can get away with so that you have less of a chance to introduce pathogens... so with rhizome species I strip the leaves since the leaves just run a greater chance of me missing a little nasty. Sometimes the plants seem to bounce back a bit faster when you take the leaves off anyways, since they aren't trying to salvage the damaged leaves since they are gone!! The rhizome is tough and could handle it as long as the original plant was healthy. Just take off a piece that had a few fronds on it and test that.


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## inka4040 (Oct 14, 2010)

Not sure if this has been brought up, but I've used potassium permanganate with good success on things I'd never want to subject to bleach.


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