Red Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus ‘Red’)

Description

Red Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus ‘Red’)

Species Background
Red Java Fern Microsorum pteropus is native to Southeast Asia, where it grows attached to rocks and wood along shaded riverbanks and slow-moving forest streams.
‘Red’ is a cultivated color form selected for copper-red to bronze new growth rather than a wild variant.

Growth Behavior
Epiphytic rhizome plant that attaches to wood or stone and feeds from the water column.
The rhizome must remain exposed. Burying it in substrate will cause rot.
Growth is slow and steady.

Size and Growth Form
Typically reaches 6–10 inches tall.
Forms arching, narrow leaves and layered clumps over time.
New leaves emerge red to copper and darken as they mature.

Aquascaping Tip
Attach to driftwood or stone in shaded areas where its red new growth contrasts against darker hardscape.

Water Parameters
Temperature: 72–82°F
pH: 6.0–7.5
GH: 3–12
KH: 2–8

Light Requirements
Low to medium.
Higher light enhances red coloration but increases algae risk on the leaves.

CO₂ Requirements
Not required.
CO₂ improves growth speed and color intensity but is optional.

Nutrient Requirements
Water-column feeder.
Requires liquid fertilizers. Root tabs are ineffective.

Tank Placement
Attached to wood or rock.
Midground to background depending on layout.

Why Aquarists Keep It
Provides red coloration without demanding conditions.
Extremely stable, long-lived, and useful as shelter and grazing surface for shrimp and small fish.