Java Fern Broad Leaf (Microsorum pteropus) is a hardy, easy-to-care-for aquatic plant featuring significantly wider, longer, and more robust leaf blades than the standard variety.
Key Features & Care
• Size: Grows up to 15 inches (38 cm) tall with extra-broad foliage, making it a great midground or background plant for medium-to-large aquariums.
• Lighting: Thrives in low to medium lighting; too much light can cause algae to grow on the broad leaves.
• Placement: Do not bury the horizontal rhizome (the thick stem-like base where leaves sprout) in the substrate or it will rot. Instead, attach it to driftwood or rocks using thread, fishing line, or super glue gel.
• Water Parameters: Adapts well to temperatures between 20–28°C (68–82°F) and a pH range of 6.0–7.5. CO2 supplementation is not required.
• Propagation: Spreads through rhizome division or via tiny baby plantlets that sprout on the undersides of mature leaves. Small dark spots on the leaves are normal reproductive structures (sporangia), not a disease.
