# good mini ferns



## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

I am looking for some attractive, small, and reletively inexpensive ferns that would do well in a viv.
Any good sources for these would be nice to know too.


----------



## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

I too am interested in nice small ferns that can tolerate the moist damp conditions in our tanks.


----------



## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

I'm not sure how small you're looking for, but one of my favorites is the Korean rock fern, _Polystichum tsus-simense_. IME, they prefer to have really wet feet--my substrate was completely waterlogged (no gravel layer or anything to raise the soil above the waterline) and they exploded in growth.


----------



## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Define the "small" you are looking for... most "small" ferns have fronds that get over a foot, so are you looking for one of those, or a REALLY tiny fern? Its hard to recomend species without really knowing what size you mean, and what conditions you have that you're going to plant them in.

Best supplier of ferns for the terrarium that I can think of is Cloud Jungle, but he's not going to start shipping again til Feb. Doesn't give good size info on them tho, but you can ask him.


----------



## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

I agree with the recommendation of Korean Rock Fern. I've had good luck with it in vivs. Another fern that I have found stays reasonably small and represents a slightly different fern look is Adiantum raddianum.

Bill


----------



## Guest (Dec 28, 2005)

Look for Doodia mollis.

Matt


----------



## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

How about recomendations for:
10 gallon verts ---- which fern?
18 gallon higs standard or vert- ----- which fern?

Poison frog conditions wet, minimal air circulation (until i get some pc fans) damp soil and hopefully they will be able to tolerate wet leaves for a bit


----------



## bluedart (Sep 5, 2005)

Korean Rock Fern, Selaginella uncinata. Check out this page for some ferns that you might like. They have some ferns that are more like moss, but still have distinct fronds and the like, which I am quite fond of.

http://www.blackjungle.com/Merchant2/me ... ry_Code=FM


----------



## Paul E. Wog (Jan 2, 2005)

Booboo, how exactly are you going to use pc fans? if they are going to be blowing air into or out of the viv via an opening, then I would recomend that you don't bother. It will be a nightmare trying to keep the humidity up. remember that you need to have a fully enclosed lid to maintain high humidity in most cases. 
I know that some people put a 3 inch screened section in their vert 10gal vivs but that is only because they live in a humid state that will allow for such ventilation or have auto-misters that come on several times a day. I live in Arizona and my new 20 gal high is kind of a pain to maintain humidity in because the lid that I have has a 2 centimeter gap which is more than enough in my dry state to suck the moisture right out of the tank. HTH


----------



## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

is the lemon button fern on black jungle a good one? 
what i meant by small is able to fit in about an 15 or 18 tall or a 20 high, what most of my tanks will be.
so basically no more than a foot-16" tall,


----------



## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

In my experience
I recently put a "korean Rock Fern" From Black Jungle into my viv. It is about 3 inch radius. Im hoping it wont stay this small.. Not sure how fast they grow, but It would fit in a 10 gallon with LOTS of room to grow.

-Frank


----------



## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

Paul E. Wog there are two (that i know) ways to use PC fans to defog and keep your air from going stagnant + you can grow orchids in your tank with air circulation.

1. You can mount it within your vivarium preferably a small silent one with screen attached it it to prevent frogs from injuring themselves
2. You can mount it on a screened section on the lowest setting possible and it will work well without to many probs with humidity

Anyways for christams i got a mistking setup so humidity will be controllable.


----------



## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Lemon buttons are one of the best terrarium ferns out there. I'm also a huge fan of rabbit's foot ferns, but they are more epiphytic and wouldn't like the seriously wet soil conditions many have in their tanks.


----------



## twisner (Jul 7, 2005)

i also like the rabbits foot ferns, would they do well on a cork background?


----------



## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I think they should do pretty well, mine have been mounted on wood and loved it. They just creep along.


----------



## Homer (Feb 15, 2004)

Heart ferns are nice, but lemon button ferns will rapidly outgrow all but the largest terraria, in my experience. I had one grow from a 4" plant to a 14" plant that was sending runners out everywhere. I have had an Adiantium (don't know the species) that has done well in a 10 gallon for a few years without overgrowing the tank.


----------



## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

One thing to be careful of with the Rabbit’s Foot is that they are seriously damaged by and susceptible to attack by scale insects. Definitely look the plant over before you put it in your viv.


----------



## Guest (Jan 9, 2006)

Im still a fan of Doodia.
Matt


----------



## andersonii85 (Feb 8, 2004)

If you like trailing epiphytic ferns, some of my favs are Pyrossia and Microgamma. Harry at Cloud Jungle has some nice Microgamma percussa and M. nitida. If you want something more frond-like then go with selaginella's. 

Best,

J


----------



## Guest (Jan 29, 2006)

Resurrection fern is a great little fern with "classic" fern fronds. It can be tricky to get going though; I had mine high up in the light right under a mister that came on a couple times a day and it did great.

Heart fern is nice too, stays fairly reasonable in size.

There's a highly dissected bright green fern called something like "Suzi Wong" that is beautiful. 

All the selaginella are nice if your temps don't get too high, although I don't really think of them as ferns


----------



## Guest (Jan 30, 2006)

That Suzi Wong is _Nephrolepis exaltata _

I just read a care description and they said it cannot tolerate overhead watering. Mine did great with regular misting though, so I dunno. Very pretty at any rate.


----------

