Who is pulling it out?

I just put about 7 pieces of java fern in my 55g. It seems like during the earier - mid hours of the day(time when light is on) someone is pulling out the bigger pieces of java fern. I have 6 harlequin rasbaras in there, 9 lemon tetra's, 1 red tail shark, 1 clown pleco & 5 ghost shrimp.

 

I'd guess the pleco, but I don't really know. Did you plant it in the substrate?

 

If it's on wood probably the pleco. If it is in the substrate most likely the shark. I would bet on the shark in both cases actually. Seems more likely. But my Clowns take Java Ferns off the wood a lot too.

 

First couple times I had it in the rocks and I was thinking it was just floating out. Then I planted it in the gravel it was fine for a day then came home from work and its out again. I have no reinserted into the rocks.

No, never been in the wood. Mabe the shark... I was thinking the Lemon's but now I'm thinkiing the shark cause he always eats off the other plants. Mayve he's just putting to much of his weight on the new plants.

Merged back to back posts. Ken

 

Java fern doesn't really like to be planted in the substrate. It doesn't have the right type of root system. It prefers to be tied to a piece of driftwood, rocks, or ornaments of some sort will work too. Because the root system isn't right to spread out and anchor the plant, any time any of your bottom dwellers go rooting around in your substrate, they will loosen the java and well..... yeah, it's just not going to stay there. Also the java could start to rot in the substrate. It really likes it's roots to be out in the open water.

Fortunately I know you put a little driftwood in there so take some fishing line and tie the java to it. It'll love you for it.

 

Aready did that. I'm trying it for my second time