Description
Ceratopteris cornuta is a water sprite species with markedly broader leaf lobes than the much more filigree "Sumatra fern". This medium large aquatic fern grows as submerged, rooted plant as well as free-floating plant. It gets at least 30 cm tall. On nutrient-rich, wet bottom it develops emersed spore-bearing leaves that become considerably longer than the submerged ones.
Ceratopteris cornuta is undemanding and tolerates harder water; medium lighting is sufficient. The optimum temperature lies between 22-28℃. Good CO2 and nutrient supply enhances its already fast growth. This aquatic fern multiplies by many adventitious plantlets on older fronds.
It is recommended to put the leaf rosette of Ceratopteris species not too deeply into the substrate. The "heart" of the plant where new fronds develop should remain above the bottom surface.
However, when water sprite is delivered as potted plant, it often has hardly roots and detaches easily from the rockwool substrate during transport. But the plants will grow new roots in the aquarium. They can be floated until the roots are long enough for planting, or pinned onto the ground with a plant pin (e.g., JBL-ProScape-Plantis) right away. New plantlets may sprout on broken leaves.
Source
Flowgrow
Characteristic
Fast-growing aquatic fern
Light green
Undemanding
Suitable as submerged and floating plant
Synonyms
Pteris cornuta P. Beauv., Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn. f. cornuta (P. Beauv.) Glück
Complete Botanical Name
Ceratópteris cornúta (P. Beauv.) Le Prieur
Family
Pteridaceae
Genus
Ceratopteris
Category
Middle Ground
Difficulty
easy
Growth
very fast
Carbon Dioxide
need
pH Value
5-8
Temperature Tolerance
18-30℃
Carbonate Hardness
0-21 dKH
General Hardness
0-30 °dGH
Propagation
Proliferating leaves, Spores
Can Grow Emersed?
yes
