Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) : Ultimate Care Guide

Aquarists, get ready to add a touch of lush greenery to your tank with Water Sprite! This popular aquarium plant, also known as Indian water fern, is scientifically named Ceratopteris thalictroides and is a must-have for any aquarium hobbyist. With its lacy, delicate appearance and easy care, it’s no wonder why the water sprite has become a staple in many aquariums.

This amazing fern goes by many other names – water fern, oriental waterfern, and water hornfern. In the Philippines, it’s known as “pakung-sungay,” which means “antler fern” or “horn fern.” Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced aquarist, you’ll have no trouble getting this plant to thrive in your tank. And, with its fast growth rate, you’ll have a lush and verdant background in no time!

Origins and Distribution

Water Sprite is native to Southeast Asia and northern Australia but can also be found in isolated populations in Tanzania, Florida, Central America, and northern to central South America. Its scientific name, Ceratopteris thalictroides, comes from the Greek words “ceras,” meaning horn, and “pteris,” meaning fern. The species name, “thalictroides,” means similar to the genus Thalictrum.

Appearance

This stunning aquatic fern is a light green color, with a slightly darker stem. The leaves grow out from the central stem in a feather-like pattern, making it look just like its terrestrial relatives. With the right conditions, the Water Sprite can grow rapidly and become a beautiful cluster of stems and leaves, reaching up to 1 foot (30 cm) in length. And, it has long roots that can either grab onto the ground or freely float.

Growing and Cultivating Water Sprite

Water Sprite is a fast-growing fern that is usually cultivated free-floating on the water surface. It provides fish fry with great places to hide and is even accepted by Labyrinth fish for building their bubble nests. However, when planted into the ground, it grows even better as a submersed plant.

This fern forms large, fine-leaved, light green bushes within a short time and requires a lot of space, so it’s best cultivated in large tanks as a solitary plant. Water Sprite grows better when planted in the substrate. It’s not difficult to meet its requirements – medium light intensities and CO2 concentrations of under 20 mg/l are sufficient, but it will grow even better under intensive light, with additional CO2 and nutrient-rich water.

Water Sprite forms plantlets in the grooves between the lobes of older leaves, but in lower numbers. To encourage the development of these plantlets, it’s recommended to sever the older leaves from the plant and let them float on the surface.

Under good growing conditions, its leaves will need to be trimmed regularly and large specimens may need to be replaced with young plants. It can grow in both soft and hard water that is weakly acidic or slightly alkaline, and requires medium light intensity with a temperature range of 22 to 28°C (72 to 82°F).

Fun Fact: Not only is this fern versatile in terms of its habitat, but it can also survive in slightly brackish water. This makes it widely available all over the world.

Emersed Leaves of Water Sprite

In shallow water and on wet substrates rich in nutrients, Water Sprite forms emersed leaves, which are finely pinnate, too. The spore-carrying fronds have very narrow leaf tips, and their margins are rolled in towards the underside, covering the sporangia (spore capsules).

Growing Options

Water Sprite is a versatile plant that can be grown both planted/attached or free-floating. If planted, it will produce thinner leaves as it can receive more light. Unlike most other aquatic ferns, it doesn’t have rhizomes but instead develops a primary thin root system. If floating, it will grow thinner and finer secondary roots to absorb nutrients.

Fun Fact: Water Sprite is also an important species in the study of genetics. Its fast germination period makes it easier for scientists to observe the results of experiments.

PH Tolerance

The Water Sprite is an incredibly tolerant fern that can handle all PH ranges, except for highly alkaline water. However, for optimal growth, it prefers a PH between 5 and 7.5, with more acidic water being better.

In the Vivarium

This fern can do well in a variety of vivarium types, but it’s best suited for setups with fully aquatic areas. It can thrive in paludariums (half aquatic/half terrain-based enclosures), ripariums (mostly aquatic-based enclosures with some terrain features), and aquariums (fully aquatic-based enclosures with little to no dry terrain).

Vivarium Placement

As a fully aquatic and floating fern, the Water Sprite should not be placed in areas that are too dry. When grown and planted, it can be placed in the background or midground of an aquarium, used as a filler to cover empty or unattractive areas. Remember to keep it away from filters as the leaves and stems can get sucked in and damaged.

When grown floating, the plant can simply be left to float on its own, adding a pop of color to the water’s surface. Additionally, the roots can attach themselves to porous surfaces like rocks or driftwood, which can be accelerated with a fishing line or cotton thread.

Reproduction

Water Sprite reproduces easily through adventitious shoots – tiny leaves that form on an older leaf and then break off. These new leaves can float in your enclosure or be planted in the substrate. If you break off a stem with plenty of leaves, it can start growing roots and survive on its own. Just make sure the new plant has enough leaves.

Propagating Water Sprite

This plant is a quick grower, which is great for filling up your tank quickly, but it can also lead to some leaf browning. If your water sprite is starting to look a little too brown or taking up too much light, just snip off any excess stems.

To propagate the water sprite, simply wait for it to produce baby plants, or replant stem trimmings. You can even leave them floating and they will develop their own root system.

Uses in Aquascaping

The water sprite is a beautiful addition to any aquarium. With its large size and textured leaves, it makes a great background plant. Try combining it with red or pink plants for a stunning display. Additionally, water sprite is a favorite among shrimp because its textured leaves provide the perfect foraging ground, and its dense growth pattern makes for a great hiding place. This plant is also a natural nitrate buster, helping to keep your water values stable.

You can grow water sprite in your tank in a variety of ways. If you prefer a more traditional look, you can plant it in the substrate with just the roots covered and the crown exposed. For a more laid-back approach, simply toss the plant into your tank and let it do its thing. Water sprite will develop floating roots and absorb nutrients from the water. Or, you can even attach the plant to a porous surface like lava rock or driftwood using fishing line or superglue.

Ecology: Where Can You find Water Sprite in the Wild?

Water Sprite is a native of pan-tropical regions, that can be found in many regions of the world, including rice paddies and shallow waters. This amphibic fern is an annual plant in nature, but can be cultivated over several years without any problems.

You can often find Ceratopteris thalictroides near stagnant water or in slow-flowing rivers in swampy areas, swamp forests, sago swamps, marshes, natural and man-made ponds. This plant thrives in full sun to moderate shade and can grow at elevations from sea level to 1,300m, but is mostly found at elevations less than 500m. It’s often massed on or around logs or other floating vegetation.

In some areas, the plant has a degree of seasonality, reaching maturity and shedding fragments during the dry season. It’s been reported to be an annual plant that repopulates from fragments the next season, but it can also have an indefinite lifespan in cultivation.

Water Sprite can grow in a variety of water conditions in nature. For example, a small river in Papua New Guinea where it was found had a water temperature of 26°C, pH of 8.4, GH of 17°dH, KH of 25°dH, and a conductivity of 1100 µS/cm. In a marsh area in Brazil, the water temperature was 22°C, pH was 6.8, GH and KH were less than 1°dH, and the conductivity was 10 µS/cm. In a pool in Venezuela, the water temperature was 28°C, pH was 6.6, GH was 2°dH, KH was 4°dH, and the conductivity was 100 µS/cm.

Botanist Description

This fern is an amphibious plant with a short and erect rhizome that is usually rooted in the substrate. The leaves of Water Sprite come in different shapes and are a light green color. The sterile leaves have petioles that can be up to 15 cm (31 cm) long and 2-5 mm (8 mm) thick, with blades that are 3-20 cm (41 cm) long and 1.5-10 cm (20 cm) wide, with a lanceolate contour. The fertile leaves have petioles that can be up to 25 cm (46 cm) long and 2-8 mm (11 mm) thick, with blades that are 10-55 cm (82 cm) long and 3-25 cm (48 cm) wide, and pinnatisected.

The stipes of mature plants are spongy and air-filled, with a diameter of 3-15mm. The entire plant can be 4-60cm long, including the stipe. The fertile fronds are pale green and can grow to be 15-100cm long, including the stipe, and up to 40cm long. The fronds turn brown when they mature and have proliferous or dormant buds with overlapping dark scales in the axils of fertile pinnae. The pinnae are deeply incised with segments 2-15mm x 10-30mm and the fertile segments 1-2mm x 10-80mm. There are two types of this plant – the north type has 2n=126 chromosomes while the south type has 2n=154 chromosomes, making it a separate species.

Different Varieties of Water Sprite

There are many different local forms of Water Sprite, and in the world of aquaristics, varieties with more coarsely or finely pinnate submersed leaves are common. However, botanists are still debating whether Ceratopteris cornuta, originating from Africa, is a separate species or a synonym of C. thalictroides. In aquaristics, the plants with coarser lobes/leaflets are generally called C. cornuta, and those with finer leaflets are known as C. thalictroides.

It’s still unclear whether these coarser-looking plants are truly C. cornuta or simply a variety of C. thalictroides. A third species, Ceratopteris richardii, can only be differentiated by the number of fragments per sporangium. Additionally, Ceratopteris species have a tendency to hybridize.

Uses in Cooking

In Madagascar, New Guinea, and Vietnam, the fronds of Ceratopteris thalictroides are cooked and eaten as a vegetable. In Micronesia, the fronds are eaten raw as a salad. The plant has also been used similarly to watercress and in Malaysia and Japan, uncurled fronds have been used in salads. However, the plant is believed to contain carcinogenic chemicals.

Buying Water Sprite

When you’re shopping for Water Sprite, look for bright green plants that can stand up on their own. Avoid plants with yellowing or brown leaves, holes, or tears. Check for roots that are long and strong. If you’re not sure, return the plant and get a better one.

Other Uses

This versatile fern can also be used as manure for rice and has medicinal uses as a poultice for dermatological issues in Malaysia and the Philippines. In China, it’s applied to wounds to stop bleeding. In the Sepik region of New Guinea, fronds are used as a personal decoration.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Water Sprite is a beautiful and easy-to-care-for fern that will bring life to your aquarium. With its strong roots and adaptability to a variety of water conditions, it is a great choice for aquarium enthusiasts. So, why not give it a try and see how it can brighten up your setup?

Taxonomy

Ceratopteris thalictroides is an aquatic plant that is part of the Pteridaceae family. This family has over 50 different genera, but Ceratopteris is one of only two genera in the Ceratopteridoideae subfamily.

This particular fern species is one of four in the genus Ceratopteris, including Broadleaf Water Sprite (C. cornuta), Floating Antlerfern (C. pteridoides), Triangle Water Fern (C. richardii), and our star of the show, Water Sprite (C. thalictroides).

Tim Priest

Tim Priest, a renowned aquarium expert with over 15 years of experience in aquatic gardening and fish education, is dedicated to helping enthusiasts create stunning and thriving aquatic environments. As the founder of LearnTheAquarium.com, Tim shares his wealth of knowledge, passion, and expertise through engaging articles, educational resources, and personalized advice.

Discover the secrets to creating captivating underwater landscapes and maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems. Join Tim on an exciting journey and let your aquarium adventure begin!