Bolbitis Difformis

26 reviews
Price
$9.99

Emerged Growth: Bare-root Plants

In stock and ready for shipping
Bolbitis heteroclita 'difformis' is a species of fern that is commonly used in aquariums.

Bolbitis Difformis

Emerged Growth: Bare-root Plants

Price
$9.99

🌿 Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis' – Mini Bolbitis Fern

Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis', commonly known as Mini Bolbitis, is a rare and highly desirable aquatic fern prized for its delicate, finely divided foliage and compact growth habit. Native to the Philippines, this beautiful rheophytic fern naturally grows attached to rocks and driftwood along shaded streams. Its vibrant green leaves provide exceptional texture and a natural forest appearance, making it an outstanding choice for Nature, Jungle, and Biotope aquascapes.

Unlike the larger African Water Fern (Bolbitis heudelotii), Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis' remains compact, making it ideal for nano aquariums, shrimp tanks, and intricate aquascaping layouts. This slow-growing fern thrives when attached to driftwood or rocks and should never have its rhizome buried.


🌟 Key Features

Scientific Name: Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis'

Common Name: Mini Bolbitis, Philippine Bolbitis, Lace Bolbitis

  • Rare miniature fern with delicate, deeply divided leaves

  • Naturally attaches to driftwood, rocks, and aquarium décor

  • Excellent for Nature, Jungle, and Biotope aquascapes

  • Perfect for nano, shrimp, and planted aquariums

  • Provides excellent shelter for shrimp, fry, and beneficial microorganisms

  • Slow-growing and easy to maintain

  • Suitable for both aquariums and high-humidity terrariums


🌱 Growth & Propagation

Lighting Needs: Low to Medium

CO₂ & Fertilizers: CO₂ injection is not required but is recommended for faster growth and fuller foliage. Regular liquid fertilization will promote healthy development.

Growth Method: Propagates through rhizome division. Mature rhizomes can be carefully divided into multiple sections, each capable of producing new plants.

Nutrient Substrate: Not Required

Can Be Grown Emersed: Yes

Important: Always attach the rhizome to driftwood or rocks using thread or aquarium-safe glue. Do not bury the rhizome, as it may rot.


🖼️ Aquascaping Benefits

  • Creates a natural rainforest appearance

  • Adds unique fine-leaf texture to planted aquariums

  • Excellent for attaching to driftwood, stones, and bonsai hardscape

  • Ideal as a midground or accent plant

  • Provides natural hiding places for shrimp and small fish

  • Beautiful contrast with Anubias, Bucephalandra, and mosses


📦 What You'll Receive

Fresh, healthy Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis' cultivated and prepared by Aquarium Plants Factory®.

Bare-root Plants: Approximately 1–2 plants with loose bare roots rhizome.

Rooted Bunched: Approximately 1–2 plants secured with aquarium-safe foam and a plant weight.

Rooted Potted: Approximately 1–2 plants established in a net pot with rockwool.


⚠️ Disclaimer

Pictures are representative samples only. Live aquatic plants are natural products and may vary in size, color, and fullness depending on season and growing conditions. Bolbitis heteroclita 'Difformis' is commonly grown emersed and may experience a normal transition period as it adapts to submerged aquarium conditions.


🚫 State Restrictions Notice ♻️ Be a Responsible Aquatic Plants Owner

Certain aquatic plants may be restricted or regulated in some U.S. states. Always check your local and state regulations before purchasing or introducing plants into natural waterways. Never release aquarium plants into the wild.

 

Shipping Policy

At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.


Order Processing Time

Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.

Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.

Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.

Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.


Shipping Schedule

Live Plants

Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).

Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.

Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.


UPS Express Shipping

We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:

UPS 2-Day Air®

Estimated delivery: 2 business days

Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.

UPS Next Day Air®

Estimated delivery: 1 business day

This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.

UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.

Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.

To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).


Live Animals Shipping

Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.

This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.

Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:

  • Weather conditions

  • Livestock health

  • Shipping destination

Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.


Free Shipping

We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.

Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.

If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.

Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:

  • Alaska

  • Hawaii

  • Puerto Rico

  • Guam

  • U.S. Virgin Islands

Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.


Delivery Time Estimates

Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.

While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:

  • Weather conditions

  • Carrier delays

  • High shipping volumes

  • Transportation disruptions

Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.


Delayed or Lost Packages

Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.

A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.

If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:

  • Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost

  • The customer covers 50% plus shipping


Address Accuracy

Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.

Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:

  • Credit / Debit Card

  • PayPal

  • Apple Pay

  • Google Pay

  • Amazon Pay

  • Shopify Pay

  • AliPay

Orders returned due to:

  • Incorrect address

  • Refused delivery

  • Failed delivery attempts

may not be eligible for a refund.


Order Cancellations

If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.

Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.

Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.


Returns

Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.

We do not accept returns or exchanges for:

  • Live plants

  • Live animals


For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.

Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com

 WHAT WE GUARANTEE

24 Hours Live Arrival Guarantee* - In a rare case of live stocks dead on arrival, we must be notified within 24 hours by the same day of delivery. Please take clear photos of the damaged product and send it to us within 24 hours.  Live Arrival Guarantee will be void after 24 hours of delivery. All replacements are considered final and we will not replace the replacement.

  1. Picture requirements: Take at least 2 clear photos of damaged product in their original, unopened & sealed transparent packing and send photos and orders information to our email within 24 hours: aquariumplantsfactory@gmail.com 
  2. Please do not take picture of damaged plants, or animals in your aquarium. Once they have been introduced to your aquarium's ecosystem. It is no longer covered by our guarantee.

Please be aware that our Live Arrival Guarantee is subject to certain conditions. Specifically, the guarantee will not be applicable in cases where the package is marked as 'invalid address', 'undeliverable' or is 'returned to sender.' This includes situations such as a vacant delivery address, a missing apartment number, or any other issues that prevent the postal service from delivering your package.

It is crucial to provide accurate and complete shipping information to ensure the successful delivery of your order and the applicability of the Live Arrival Guarantee.

Please keep in mind that Live Arrival Guarantee only guarantees that live stocks will be alive upon arrival. We cannot guarantee that you will continue to have success with them. Many factors, including the aquarium environment, water quality, nutrient, temperature, lighting, filter, and CO2 system, can contribute to the failure to grow live plants and live animals.

 

WHAT WE CAN'T GUARANTEE

Even though our plants are very clean, but we can't guarantee they will be 100% pest-free because we cannot be responsible for your aquarium. Please use it at your own risk. We recommended all customers rinse the plants with clean water and quarantine them before use.

However, plants in tissue culture will be 100% free from pests, algae and never have been contacting with any aquarium.

  1. Due to the nature of the product. We don't guarantee our plants will be pests free. ( snails, algae, hitchhikers )
  2. We don't guarantee our plants will be free of pesticides. We use homemade, organic pesticides in our greenhouse to control pests. We do not use pesticides that contain copper. Copper is toxic to invertebrates such as aquatic snails, crabs, shrimps, etc
  3. We don't guarantee your aquarium success or are responsible for your aquarium inhabitant including but not limited to fish, shrimp, snail, turtle, etc. So please quarantine all plants when use!
  4. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be grow emerged or submerge.

Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.

Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.

Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.

Customers praised this aquatic fern for arriving in "great condition" with healthy foliage and extensive root systems. Most reported plants thrived in tanks with interesting texture. However, one customer experienced black fronds requiring pruning. Shoppers noted leaves can break easily during planting, though remaining portions stay healthy.

  • All of the plants came in great condition and had no problems submersing into our aquariums.
  • Plants were packaged professionally and arrived in great shape with an extensive root system.
  • Arrived so very healthy and green. Roots were also healthy! Looks great in my tank.
  • 5 stars: 23 (88%)
  • 4 stars: 2 (8%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 1 (4%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
L
Lori P. (United States)
bolbitis difformis

APF typically aquascapes the park, then hits every specimen out of that park! Unfortunately after a dozen orders and several hundred dollars the difformis is the first disappointment. Many arrived with completely black fronds that were thrown out immediately and I've hard pruned the rest but not sure these will survive.

M
Mishab123 (United States)
Awesome plant

I really liked how these looked. Very bushy and healthy. Contains multiple portions. Pic of one portion.

J
JILL M.S. (United States)
Abundance in a pot!

I ordered as a buy 2 get 1, and I was so pleased by the abundance of this cool plant in each pot. I had more than enough to add to my new aquascape AND add to an established tank for some additional texture.

S
Sarah G. (United States)
Green Bush

This arrived looking pretty good, if a wee bit squashed from being safely packaged. I'm hoping to grow it out a bit in it's basket before the final planting.

N
Nick P. (United States)
Nice fern

Came in nice good little portion love the look v of it on driftwood

M
Molly B. (United States)
Awesome Sauce

Arrived so very healthy and green. Roots were also healthy! Very satisfied and can’t wait to order this plant again. Fast shipping and well packaged. Looks great in my tank.

P
Paul S. (United States)
All good plants

All of the plants came in great condition and had no problems submersing into our aquariums. Great buy!

J
Jeff S. (United States)
Great greens

They arrived in great condition and continue to thrive today. An interesting texture and my fish don't both it. Love this addition.

H
Holly R. (United States)
So far so good!

Plants arrived in good condition, and team was communicative throughout order. Have not yet noticed any tagalong pests. Happy so far!!

A
Amy H. (United States)
Looks fantastic

Very happy with the plant they sent, can’t wait to get it in the tank I am redoing.

J
Jake

Awesome quality

J
Jason

Just like picture. Thank you

p
phillip b.(. (United States)
As described

Arrived healthy and as described, would order again

j
jorge

Good portion

M
M.B. (United States)

Giant root system, I thought it was a handful of black string at first.

D
D.F.

The only place I get aquatic plants. Such great quality. Thanks again!

Q
QC (United States)
Beautiful plant!

It's a very pretty, healthy plant.

S
Sheila R. (United States)
Awesome plants

This plant was able to be split into several. All into different aquariums and all doing great . Very happy with purchase.

S
Shannon C. (United States)
Gorgeous!

Such a beautiful plant. Very large for what I was expecting.

J
J. (United States)
All Orders

All orders always fast, & in GREAT shape.I am hooked on APF
J.W.

E
Ethan H. (United States)
Perfect

Came in perfect condition and looks great!

K
Kristen G. (United States)

Came alive and healthy. Planted easily!

N
Nick (United States)
Bolbitis Difformis

Purchased 3 of these potted plants. Plants were packaged professionally and arrived in great shape. The plant was free from algae and had an extensive root system. This plant is definitely a great aquarium addition. Couldn't be happier with this purchase.

D
David S. (United States)
Highly recommend

Totally satisfied. Ordered late Sunday night and my order was processed that Monday morning...and shipped out that same evening. I received my plants on Thursday and was very happy to see crisp, green, healthy, well packaged Bolbitis Defformis, Weeping Moss on slate, and Java Moss. The good quality was a relief...buying blind makes me very nervous. I will definitely be buying from APF in the future. Highly recommend!

A
Andrea
Very healthy

These arrived super fast, and in perfect health. One thing to note is that they break quite easily, I lost about 1/3 of the leaves when attaching to wood in my aquarium, but the remaining are still alive and green. With the b2g1 free it works out to a great price for these unique plants.

E
Elizabeth R.
Beautiful healthy plant

I love this plant so much. It's a brilliant green in perfect health with lots of foliage. Shipped quickly and carefully. Highly recommended!

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Frequently Asked Questions