Java Moss

[Fishy_7]

I have bought Java Moss before and would like to get some more again. However, despite many cited that this is an easy plant to grow. My interest in fish waned significantly when I started my business but now it is coming back again - thankfully.

My tank is 48" long, 235 litres and has a lot of bogwood. I have a twin tube T5 lighting unit, which is on for 10 hours a day with a 1 hr blackout after 5 hours. In the past, I have bought the Java moss in the past, tied it to the bog wood in the hope that it will anchor and thrive. However, I have hener manged to get it to anchor and it just dies.

What is going wrong here??

I change water weekly (roughly 20%), PH is about 7.8 and water is hard. I can confirm that the fish have little interest in the plants.

Any insight appreciated.

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

Me neither! However - I struggle to keep java ferns too... a link maybe? Everything else grows like crazy! I will be watching this thread

 

[Fishy_7]

Ditto, I have other plants in the tank that do grow ...

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

I do have fairly alkaline, hard water - not sure if that has any baring on things

 

[nurglespuss]

Partly its luck!

I set up an aquarium just a few miles away in work, a very simple 1 tube, 24" setup with no ferts or anything, and the java fern in there grows fast and like a jungle, I have to prune it almost daily.

However, I have some of the same java fern in my small aquarium at home with good light, and its alive, but grows so slowly its like a bonsai.

The water is the same...

I've got java+christmas moss growing in the little tank too, its not died 'yet' but doesnt appear to be growing much either!

 

[PDSimon]

I put some moss in a jar of water and it managed to grow

Have you tried feeding it some yummy micro nutrients? not especially necessary, but if its struggling to grow I can't see what else.

Your lightings on for quite a long time too, only really needs to be 8 without the blackout. Blackouts are to let co2 build up again, but I assume you havn't got co2. do you know what watt the bulbs are?