Bolbitis heteroclita 'cuspidata'

Bolbitis heteroclita

A small-growing form of dwarf African fern, collected on the Lamao river on the island of Luzon (Philippines). Unlike the large forms of the species, which are poorly suited to an aquarium, it has proven to be a good aquarium plant.

Light: low–high
Difficulty: medium
Temperature: 18 – 28 °C (64 – 82 °F)

Leaf colour: green
Plant type: rhizome
Growth rate: slow
Tolerates light: low – high
pH: 5 – 7
Carbonate hardness: 0 – 14 °dKH
General hardness: 0 – 30 °dGH
Placement: on stone and wood +3 on stone and wood, midground, nano tank, foreground
Propagation: plantlets on leaves +3 plantlets on leaves, rhizome division, division, daughter plants
Grows emersed: yes

Appearance

Larger and faster-growing than the dwarf 'difformis'. Originally described as a separate species, Bolbitis cuspidata; it is now considered a small-growing form of the very variable dwarf African fern, widespread across the tropics of Asia.

Keeping

Difficulty medium, growth slow, light from dim to strong, CO₂ 15–40 mg/l, temperature 23–28 °C. Propagation: young plants on the leaves, dividing the horizontal stem.

Placement

Tied to hardscape, midground and foreground, nano aquarium; underwater the clump is tied, for example, to a piece of lava rock, the same as with 'difformis'.

Water conditions match

The water suits 855 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.

Butterflyfish Julii Corydoras Featherfin Synodontis Red-finned Parotocinclus Gastromyzon monticola Egg-shaped Goldfish Flame Tetra Gardner's Killifish African Tetra Hypsolebias picturatus Common Zacco Labeo Bicolor Gambusia Flying barb Gastromyzon scitulus Albino Zebra Danio Geophagus Brokopondo Homaloptera bilineata Red-tailed Rasbora Boraras naevus Lampeye Killifish Spotted Raphael Catfish Corydoras melanotaenia Festivum cichlid

Will eat this plant

These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.

Bengal Loach Zebra Loach Burmese Border Loach Emperor Botia Marbled Headstander Pellegrin's Leporinus Leporinus striatus False Black Tetra Common Metynnis Mylossoma duriventre Red Whiptail Catfish Moonlight Gourami Melanotaenia parva

Matching water does not mean the fish will leave the plant alone.

Scientific and other names, conservation status

Other scientific names: Bolbitis cuspidata (Presl) Ching, Edanyoa difformis Copeland, Acrostichum flagelliferum, Acrostichum heteroclitum, Acrostichum modestum, Acrostichum proliferum, Bolbitis annamensis, Bolbitis cuspidata, Bolbitis edanyoi, Bolbitis flagellifera, Bolbitis foxworthyi, Bolbitis koidzumiana, Bolbitis koidzumii, Bolbitis membranacea, Bolbitis modesta, Bolbitis nigra, Bolbitis pseudoscalpturata, Bolbitis pseudosculpturata, Bolbitis scandens, Bolbitis simplicifolia, Bolbitis stenophylla, Bolbitis tenuissima, Campium cuspidatum, Campium foxworthyi, Campium heteroclitum, Campium heteroclitum eurybasis, Campium membranaceum, Campium modestum, Campium nigrum, Campium pseudoscalpturatum, Campium tenuissimum, Chrysodium cuspidatum, Chrysodium flagelliferum, Chrysodium heteroclitum, Chrysodium heteroclitum subcrenatum, Cyrtogonium acuminatum, Cyrtogonium flagelliferum, Gymnopteris flagellifera, Heteroneuron cuspidatum, Heteroneuron heteroclitum, Heteroneurum cuspidatum, Leptochilus cuspidatus, Leptochilus cuspidatus normalis, Leptochilus heteroclitus, Leptochilus heteroclitus eurybasis, Leptochilus heteroclitus foxworthyi, Leptochilus modestus, Leptochilus simplicifolius, Leptochilus sumatranus, Nephrodium cuspidatum, Phegopteris heteroclita, Poecilopteris flagellifera, Poecilopteris heteroclita, Poecilopteris stenophylla, Polystichum cuspidatum
Bolbitis heteroclita: (C. Presl) Ching
Family: Dryopteridaceae