Thai fern, belonging to the centipede family, is quite an interesting and popular plant, consisting of a long rhizome and lanceolate bright green leaves, reaching a height of thirty centimeters. Its midrib is whitish at the base and slightly convex. It can often be found in hobby aquariums, where it is heavily bushed, nestling against the side walls or spreading through the center.
The homeland of this plant is Southeast Asia, where it grows in large quantities in water bodies. It is interesting that there it can grow on the ground. This is explained by the large number of seasonal rains that periodically flood the lowlands of the rivers.
Thai fern develops all year round. The minimum temperature for its normal development is twenty-four degrees. Otherwise, its growth slows down or stops altogether.
It is very important for this plant that the water in the aquarium is soft, with a hardness index of no higher than six. It should be slightly acidic (pH within five). These indicators are characteristic of old water, which means that its frequent change will not benefit the plant.
Thai fern tolerates both strong and moderate lighting well. The duration of the day must be at least twelve hours. Therefore, if there are problems with light, a fluorescent lamp is perfect.
Soil is not required for this plant, because its root system is underdeveloped. The Thai fern is propagated by the vegetative method. Its rhizome can be divided into two or three parts so that each of them would have leaves. Some varieties of this plant, such as the Thai narrow-leaved fern, reproduce by buds formed on old leaves. Young plants grow from them. At the same time, the leaf itself dies, and a new sprout floats to the surface, where it stays until it develops a normal rhizome. After that, due to its gravity, it descends to the bottom and grows to the ground.
Another species of this plant, the Thai pterygoid fern, does not tolerate the presence of suspended particles in the water. In addition, he does not respond well to transplants. And on bottom fish, which, by digging the ground, slow down its growth.
Thai fern is different from other aquarium plants. In addition to being very unpretentious,he is also very handsome. It is easy enough to grow even in an aquarium with not very strong lighting. In addition, this plant does not need regular fertilizing and enrichment with carbon dioxide in the aquatic environment.
Thai fern is ideal for the design of aquariums in which herbivorous fish swim. They never harm him. In addition, it does not require soil rooting: it is enough just to fix it on snags or stones, leaving the roots free. In the future, the plant itself finds the best place for itself to take root.
Many aquarium owners create dense lateral thickets or interesting central compositions from ferns.
