African Water Fern / Bolbitis Heudelotii

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Congo Fern

Synonyms

Bolbitis heudelotii var. difformis (trade misapplication)

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

West Africa (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo Basin)

Habitat

Shaded tropical streams and rivers with strong current, growing attached to rocks and submerged wood along the banks

Sourcing

Aquacultured

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Easy

Growth form

Rhizome

Max height

4 – 16 in (10 – 41 cm)

Spread

12 in (30 cm)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Midground, Background

Water

Temperature

70 – 82 °F (21 – 28 °C)

pH

5.5 – 7.5

GH

1 – 8 dGH

Flow

Moderate-High

Light

Low

CO₂

Beneficial

Planting

Substrate

Not needed

Feeds from

Water column

Fertilizer needs

Low

Colors

Green

Feeding & breeding

Propagation

Rhizome division

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Care guide

Overview

African Water Fern is a rhizomatous species from West African rivers, prized for finely divided, dark green fronds that stay slow-growing and undemanding. It tolerates low light and no CO2, but wants moderate to high flow and a rhizome kept clear of substrate. A forgiving background or midground choice for shrimp and community tanks.

Care

A slow but forgiving fern that tolerates a wide range of lighting and does not need CO2 injection, though added CO2 will speed growth somewhat. It prefers moderate to higher water flow, which mimics the running streams it grows along in the wild and helps keep its fronds free of debris and algae. Water changes should be routine and parameters kept stable, since sudden swings in temperature or chemistry can trigger leaf melt.

Planting & trimming

Attach the rhizome to driftwood or rock using thread, cotton, or a small dab of cyanoacrylate gel glue, keeping it fully exposed above any substrate. Over time roots will anchor naturally to the hardscape, at which point the ties can be removed. Old or blackened fronds can be trimmed at the base to make room for new growth, and the plant can be grown emersed in a paludarium as well as fully submerged.

Fertilizing

A weekly dose of a balanced liquid fertilizer supports steady growth, and root tabs are unnecessary since the rhizome sits above the substrate and feeds mainly through the water column. Iron supplementation helps maintain deep green coloration, and pale or yellowing new fronds usually point to a nutrient shortfall rather than disease. Under very low light, growth slows further but the leaf color tends to stay a richer green.

Propagation

New plants are produced by dividing the horizontal rhizome into sections, each retaining a few healthy leaves and root growth, then reattaching the divisions to hardscape. It is best to wait until a rhizome section has at least three or four leaves before separating it to improve the odds of successful establishment.

Problems

Leaf melt can occur after transplanting or if water parameters shift abruptly, but the plant usually recovers once conditions stabilize and new fronds emerge from the rhizome. Algae fouling on the older, slow-growing leaves is the most common cosmetic issue, usually solved by increasing flow or trimming back light duration. Burying the rhizome in substrate is the single most common care mistake and reliably leads to rot.

Sources

1. Plant Profile: Bolbitis Heudelotii Difformis
2. Mini Bolbitis (Baby Leaf) - Buce Plant
3. Bolbitis Difformis care: light, CO2 and placement · TankBud
4. Mini Bolbitis Care Guide | Melbourne Tropical

Varieties in the catalog

Mini Bolbitis (Baby Leaf)

More Ferns

Bolbitis DifformisBolbitis HeteroclitaCeratopteris CornutaDavallia ParvulaDavallia RepensHeterogonium Pinnatum