Bolbitis heudelotii, also known as African water fern or Congo fern, is a species of aquatic fern found in Africa. It is a popular plant in the aquarium hobby due to its attractive appearance and ease of care.
Bolbitis heudelotii has a rhizomatous growth habit, meaning it spreads by sending out horizontal stems called rhizomes. It typically grows to a height of 10-20 inches (25-50 cm) and has long, narrow leaves that can reach up to 18 inches (45 cm) in length. The leaves are dark green in color and have a glossy texture.
In the aquarium, Bolbitis heudelotii can be grown attached to rocks or driftwood, or planted directly in the substrate. It prefers low to moderate lighting and a neutral pH range of 6.5-7.5. It is a slow-growing plant that requires little maintenance, but will benefit from occasional fertilization and CO2 supplementation.
Bolbitis heudelotii is also found in the wild in streams and rivers in tropical Africa, where it serves an important ecological role as a primary producer and as a habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms.
- Sold as Bare-root plants, or Potted plants
- Bare-root plants | approx. 6 leaf, bare-root, loose rhizome
- Potted plants | approx. 6 leaf plant potted with rockwool and plastic net pot
Disclaimer: Pictures are not the actual plants you will receive, but a sample representation. Unless specific, we don't guarantee aquatic plants will be free of pests, and pesticides, grow emerged, or submerge.
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Scientific Name |
Bolbitis heudelotii |
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Common Name |
African Water Fern, Congo Fern |
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Placement |
Attachable to Driftwood, Stone, or Decor |
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CO2 |
Not required |
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Growth Rates |
Medium |
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Difficulty Level |
Easy |
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Nutrient Substrate |
Not required |
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Can it grow emerged? |
Yes |
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Lighting Requirements |
Low - High |
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:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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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:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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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:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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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:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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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:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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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:
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Live plants
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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.
- 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
- 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.
- Due to the nature of the product. We don't guarantee our plants will be pests free. ( snails, algae, hitchhikers )
- 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
- 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!
- 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 described this slow-growing aquatic fern as "THE best beginner plant" and "one of the hardest plants to kill." Most received healthy, green specimens with good root systems that adjusted well to tanks. Some noted portion sizes were smaller than expected, making attachment difficult. A few experienced melting issues, though most reported minimal to no melting in low-tech setups.
- Arguably THE best beginner plant.
- Received four healthy segments. No melting so far.
- Thick lush plants are doing great and are beautiful.
T
I had ordered plant from aquarium factory for several time and it is always fresh and healthy looking plant. For this bolbitis heudelotii, it also arrived fresh and healthy. I just wish it had a little bit more quantity so that I can cover the entire a rock for my 125 gallon tank. picture was taken after the plant was left in the quarantine tank for quiet a long time so it not as fresh as when I got it
J
Pic says it all. Really happy with this purchase, looking forward to watching this plant grow.
D
Plant came in alive. Nothing spectacular in terms of the size of the portion.
K
This plant arrived nice and green. A bit of melt but I expected that. Placed into my low tech tank for a week and no catastrophic melt so I’m pleased.
t
Bolbitis Heudelotii (African Water Fern)
D
Plant arrived looking sad, dark grey coloration, no visible root system. Within two days in my tank it had totally melted away. All other plants are flourishing.
C
Received four healthy segments. So far they have adjusted well in two different tanks. No melting so far, looking forward to what this slow grower will do.
H
Small but healthy portion of one of the hardest plants to kill. Arguably THE best beginner plant.
J
Bolbitis heudelotii is a relatively pricy and slow growing plant, but the portions I got look great and were well worth it. The plants I get from APF always grow really well, so I’m looking forward to seeing this one fill in.
K
I spent the extra money and ordered the rooted potted offer. That really seems to be the way to go,thick lush plants are doing great and are beautiful.
J
Received several healthy pieces in this order. Very happy with what I received. Will be buying more plants from this company.
A
Beautiful specimen. Super healthy with good root system.
j
Good portion
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