Java Moss With Weird Algae

[This Old Spouse]

Here it is. Can you tell me what it is and how to get rid of it? The tank's been established for more than a year. It's only on the moss.

 

[ian]

looks like old dead moss to me. With all plants, give it a good hacking back, you should see new moss shoots quite soon. I can see new shoot on your moss already. Cutting it will also make it thicken up as well.

 

[phoenixgsd]

i bought a mesh square of java off ebay a few weeks back it now looks like this, i was going to post the same thing, i thought algae too

 

[ian]

sometimes there can also be a detritus build up on moss that closely resembles algae. Ensuring your moss is in decent flow will eradicate this problem.

 

[This Old Spouse]

It's not detritus, as it's right under the outflow of the filter, and I also hover my siphon over it when I clean. The moss that has attached itself to the driftwood seems perfectly fine, but this bunch seems to have recently turned the yucky grey color. It seems odd it would do this rather suddenly, as I've had it since early last year and it mostly was unattached and green.

Ian, should I try to trim it all the way down to the wood where it's green?

If you look at the first photo, you'll see that there's new green growth at the ends, but the older stuff is grey.

 

[ian]

IME, when you hack moss 'right' back, you get the best growth from it. You'll find your moss will get more bushy as well.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Excellent. Thanks, Ian!