I think my java fern is growing fernlets, they grow on the underside of the leaf, right? Or do I have some heinous plant disease that I need to take care of right away! What do I do?

They do grow babies on the leaves. Leave them until they get a bit bigger then you can remove the whole leaf and tie it to a new piece of bogwood and watch it grow.

If im not mistaken this is what happens.

You have your first Java fern, then that java fern grows baby java ferns
on the leafs, (these are harder to remove), And then those babys grow more
ferns and those ferns float away and attach them selfs somewhere else.

-Alex

Thanks Sandy and Alex - I guess I am going to have to change my set-up... My fern is a giant java! So, I have nowhere to put new growth! They are potted so I don't have anything to tie them to! I had no idea it was so happy b/c three leaves look like they are dying! I sure am glad it is sprouting, though!

So, when do I know to "relocate" them? Thanks again - I am so plant-backward!

BTW - Sandy, I have been meaning to tell you that I love you new avatar! Is that your cat? He looks just like a favorite moggie I had - Pooka! It's a great pic.

Thanks Graham, but its one i found on the net i'm afraid. Thought it apt for a goldie forum though!

Funny....my java fern is doing the same thing. It's small, tho. Never saw anything like it!

Im not sure if you already said how big your tank is, but if its 10 gallons + it should be just fine.

OK - so I have totally dropped the ball on the Java fern babies! I still don't know what to do about them... they are getting big and I have to do something soon. I have a 12 gallon killifish tank and about 55 java fern babies!!!

Plus, a brown algae problem. I had to remove two leaves because the brown algae had turned black! My tank looked great with the giant java fern but the planters did not work out and the japanese fan truned out to be Mondo grass so it has been removed - all there is left is this ratty looking giant java fern covered in babies and brown algae growing everywhere!

Is there a way I can remove babies and give them away without losing the parent leaf?

Hi You should just be able to scrap them off gently with you finger nail, thats what I did in mine when investigating what it was. I to though it could be something nasty. They were still quite small though.