{"product_id":"java-fern-on-lava-rock-microsorum-pteropus-freshwater","title":"Java Fern on Lava Rock (Microsorum pteropus)","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"background:#E8F5E9;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding:10px 14px;margin:0 0 14px;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIn-store pickup only.\u003c\/strong\u003e Your order is reserved, we hold off on bagging until you arrive so it stays healthy in its display tank.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJava Fern\u003c\/strong\u003e (\u003cem\u003eMicrosorum pteropus\u003c\/em\u003e) pre-attached to a piece of natural lava rock, ready to set straight into your aquarium. Java Fern is one of the toughest, most forgiving plants in the hobby: it thrives in low light, needs no CO2, and is left alone by most fish, which makes it a great pick for beginners, planted community tanks, cichlids, and goldfish. The porous lava rock anchors the plant and adds extra surface for beneficial bacteria to colonize.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eCare Guide\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJava Fern is an epiphyte: it grows attached to wood or rock rather than rooted in substrate. Because it is already mounted on lava rock, just set the rock in place or wedge it into your hardscape. Never bury the rhizome (the thick horizontal stem the leaves grow from) or it will rot. It grows slowly under low to moderate light and asks for very little. Mature leaves sprout tiny plantlets along their edges that you can leave in place or detach to start new plants.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ctable style=\"border-collapse:collapse;width:100%;margin:4px 0;font-size:0.95em;\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eScientific name\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eMicrosorum pteropus\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eCommon name\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eJava Fern\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eCare level\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eEasy, great for beginners\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eLighting\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eLow to moderate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eCO2\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eNot required\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003ePlacement\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eMidground to background, on hardscape\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eGrowth rate\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003eSlow\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eMature height\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e8 to 13 in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003eTemperature\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e68 to 82°F\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;background:#E8F5E9;padding:6px 10px;font-weight:600;white-space:nowrap;text-align:left;\"\u003epH\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #C8E6C9;padding:6px 10px;\"\u003e6.0 to 7.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJava Fern is safe with virtually all community fish, shrimp, and snails. Because its leaves are tough and unpalatable, it is one of the few live plants that holds up in tanks with goldfish, African cichlids, and other known plant-eaters. It also tolerates a wide range of water parameters, so it settles into almost any freshwater setup.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eRecommended Supplies\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul style=\"margin:4px 0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.5;\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePair it with other easy, low-light epiphytes like \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/anubias-pinto-cup\"\u003eAnubias\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/java-moss-taxiphyllum-barbieri-freshwater-moss\"\u003eJava Moss\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/bucephalandra-kapuas-brownie-ghost-freshwater-plant\"\u003eBucephalandra\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrowse all of our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/freshwater-aquarium-plants\"\u003eFreshwater Aquarium Plants\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExplore the full \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/collections\/fresh-water\"\u003eFreshwater\u003c\/a\u003e collection for fish, supplies, and more.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:14px 0 4px;font-size:1.05em;font-weight:600;line-height:1.25;border-left:4px solid #2E7D32;padding-left:8px;\"\u003eQuestions \u0026amp; Answers\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:8px 0 0;line-height:1.5;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Java Fern good for beginners?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. It is about as easy as aquarium plants get. It does not need CO2, special substrate, or strong lighting, and it is very hard to kill as long as you avoid burying the rhizome.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:8px 0 0;line-height:1.5;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo I need to plant it in the substrate?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo. It is already attached to lava rock, so you simply place the rock where you want it. Burying the rhizome is the one thing to avoid, since it causes the plant to rot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:8px 0 0;line-height:1.5;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill my fish eat it?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlmost never. Java Fern has tough, slightly bitter leaves that even goldfish and cichlids tend to leave alone, which is why it is a go-to plant for those tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp style=\"margin:8px 0 0;line-height:1.5;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it safe for shrimp?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. Shrimp love grazing the biofilm on its leaves and on the lava rock, and it gives fry and shrimplets great cover. It is completely shrimp-safe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Squeaky's Aquatics","offers":[{"title":"Small","offer_id":48878295056603,"sku":"SPLAFEJ","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large","offer_id":48878295089371,"sku":null,"price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0767\/5209\/3403\/files\/image_97a919e1-6f5d-4345-b2d4-ce52ca5fc1ed.jpg?v=1781532634","url":"https:\/\/squeakysaquatics.com\/products\/java-fern-on-lava-rock-microsorum-pteropus-freshwater","provider":"Squeaky's Aquatics","version":"1.0","type":"link"}