Java Fern Aquarium

For more extensive information about java ferns and how to care for java ferns in an aquarium I recommend reading our main page.

For those who want to build an aquarium around java ferns, a lot of different choices are available. An aquarium based around java ferns can be a good idea for beginners and experienced aquarists alike, since java fern is ideal for a low maintenance planted aquarium. Java fern can be combined with a wide variety of different animal species and will thrive in many different water conditions.

One option for those who want a java fern aquarium is to mimic the natural environment in which the java fern is found. This can either be done by being very strict and only keep Javanese species, or by being more lenient and also allow other Asian species found in similar biotopes. The latter is usually recommended, since it can be hard to find species from Java. A possible setup for a java fern tank is a well circulated 20 gallon aquarium housing a smaller loach species and a variety of barbs. If you want to stay true to the origin you can pick the beautiful Java barb.

A commonly seen fish type in java fern aquariums are the Mbuna cichlids. This is due to java fern being a hardy plant that do not get eaten by the Mbuna cichlids from Lake Malawi, while at the same time being one of very few plants that grow well in hard alkaline water. Anubias species can be used in a similar way.

Another good looking option for an aquarium based around java ferns is a tank containing several types of java ferns to create contrast in the setup. The fish in such a tank can for instance be angelfish which enjoy java fern as a breeding substrate, a few ancistrus catfish and a tetra of your choice.

Although it is possible and not very hard to create an aquarium setup that looks good using java fern as the only plant species present, it is more common to use java ferns together with other plants. Java ferns do well with all other types of plants and you can add a java fern to almost any aquarium without any problem. Java fern plants are highly recommended for beginners an experienced aquarists alike because of the hardiness of the plants and their stunning looks.

For more extensive information about java ferns and how to care for java ferns in an aquarium I recommend reading our main page.