Salvinia natans is an easy floating plant that gently shades your aquarium, helping reduce the intensity of bright LED lighting. Ideal for tanks where the light feels a little too strong.
Give your plants everything they need to grow well without pressurised CO2. Neutro Combo is a top seller for low-tech tanks, helping plants stay healthy, grow steadily and compete naturally with algae.
Hardy fern from Southeast Asia — attaches to wood or rock
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Common name: Java Fern
Origin: Asia
Position in Aquarium: Attach to wood/rock
Grows up to (cm):
Pot Size:
Growth rate: Slow
Java fern is one of those rare aquarium plants that genuinely thrives on neglect. It attaches directly to wood or rock — no substrate planting needed — making it one of the most versatile and forgiving plants in the hobby. Simply tie or glue the rhizome to a piece of driftwood or stone, and it will slowly anchor itself and grow from there.
Its distinctive lance-shaped, deep-green wavy leaves grow at a slow to moderate pace, giving the plant a natural, established look that suits almost any aquarium style — from simple community tanks to detailed aquascapes. It tolerates low to medium light without CO2 injection and adapts to a very wide range of water conditions, including harder water.
Once settled, Java fern is extremely long-lived and largely self-maintaining. New plantlets form naturally on the leaf tips and can be left to develop or detached and repositioned once they have a few roots.
Supplied as an established potted plant. Remove from the pot and rockwool before attaching to hardscape.
You’ll receive a healthy, rooted plant in a pot, similar to those shown. Each one is hand-checked before dispatch.
Same-day dispatch on orders placed before 4pm, Monday to Friday. Tracked 24 Service from £4.99, DPD Express from £6.99.
Customers praised this hardy aquatic plant for its exceptional health and quality. Reviews highlight "one of the best java ferns I've purchased" with "lovely green coloration" and robust growth. The plant arrives well-packaged and often can be divided into multiple specimens. One negative review noted quality variation with "spindly stems and brown leaves."
I’ve had ones that have melted from other distributors, but decided to go for Java fern again ONLY with aqua essentials and I WILL ONLY BUY HERE NOW ! Honestly the best plants ! If you’re not sure, just take it from me and add to cart !
Well packaged and look nice & healthy. Descent size plant.
Lovely healthy plant, great delivery packaged well
Hi Beverley, thanks so much for your kind words! We're delighted you’re happy with your Java fern and the delivery service. Enjoy your new plant!
One of the best java ferns I've purchased, healthy and growing, all the olants are quality from aqua essentials would recommend
Lovely
Looks great in mt tank and helps to give my African clawed from some good hiding places as well as keeping my tank healthy.
Very nice Java fern and had 3 little ones with it also
Excellent quality plant, growing well. Very happy
Beautiful plants that have been well cared for. Arrived in great condition and now being prepared for the aquarium.
Such high quality plants, look amazing
Nice plants
Great plants very good condition.
Lovely plants full and tall and looking really healthy
quite niceplants, only been in the tank a few days but look good
Came in good shape, will see how it does in the tank
Healthy, full of a lovely green coloration
Excellent as always
Excellent price and quality
Java plant arrived quickly and well packaged,the plants look healthy but did wash them with bicarb soda just incase of hidden hitchhiker's (none found)
Yes I will be buying again from this company and really recommend
Beatituful plant and specimen
Great little plant
Very happy with all the plants I ordered. They are all extremely healthy and a very good size. Delivery was very prompt and they were all well packaged. Highly recommend and I will be using them for all future plant and aquascape needs.
Beautiful,big,healthy plant .we'll packaged and arrived quickly.
Quick and good quality
What a great specimen arrived in perfect condition and now looks brilliant in my tank ,thanks aquaessentials .
Thomas
Great plants well rooted quick delivery
Both plants arrived in excellent condition and of good size. Packaging was very good and protected plants whilst in transit.
I attached them to lava rock and bog wood, After taking the plants out of the pots and removing the rock wool I found I was able to divide them into four plants. They are looking good and have started to shoot new leaves.
Very happy and would highly recommend aquaessentials.
Really happy with this fern it come as described so no complaints here
Thanks you Aqua
Jim
I love this plant! I've only had it a few weeks and it's growing beautifully!
Great plant settling in nicely
I bought a selection of plants, they all arrived very well packed in good condition, well within the given timeframe, All the plants were of high quality and would buy again and highly recommend aqua essentials
With the Java fern, even though it doesn’t have true roots can you still root it into substrate or not?
No you need to tie to wood or rock otherwise it'll rot out
No. Attach the rhizome to hardscape — driftwood, rocks or decor — not buried in gravel. Burying the rhizome will cause it to rot.
Very little. It's one of the most shade-tolerant plants in the hobby, making it ideal for tanks with standard or low lighting.
No CO2 supplementation needed. Java fern is a slow grower that performs well in a basic low-tech setup.
Black spots on Java fern leaves are often plantlets forming — completely normal and a sign of a healthy plant. Small new ferns will develop and can be removed and placed elsewhere.
Yes, fully safe. Most fish leave it alone, and shrimp love grazing on the biofilm that develops on the broad leaves.
