java moss

[cutecotton]

hi all,

i currently have two clumps of java moss that a friend gave to me, i put one clump in a 15g, and naother clump in another 15g. The tank is very well lit, actually it's barely lit at all becasue id ont' have lights for htem atm. I'm just wondering if the java moss will grow well or if they requiare huge amoutns of light?

also, are they supposet to float? cuz my 'clump' sinks

 

[Paul_MTS]

yes they should sink and I think would attach themselfs to something.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Java moss are very low light plants. they may grow in less that 1 wpg at times. They don't float either - in fact if you tie it to a stone/piece of wood with fishling line or elastic band, it will eventually anchor itself to that spot and creep all over the rock. fluffy rocks

 

[jsescher25]

It will also grow in about any condition i have some in a brackish tank with a SG of 1.010 and it is doing great!

 

[cutecotton]

whoa

i didnt' know java moss can attach itself to stuff!! so..if i put in a piece of rock, will it attach itself to the rock?

glad to hear that they dont' need a lot of light to live i dont' like plants that need a lot of maintence! (i lack patience )

thanks for the info guy! i was always wondering how they have java moss on driftwood..

 

[nightlife20]

mine hasnt grown at all, iv got to order some more... realy not happy about this plant

 

[clutterydrawer]

whoa

i didnt' know java moss can attach itself to stuff!! so..if i put in a piece of rock, will it attach itself to the rock?

glad to hear that they dont' need a lot of light to live i dont' like plants that need a lot of maintence! (i lack patience )

thanks for the info guy! i was always wondering how they have java moss on driftwood..

yep

you can wedge it into a crevice or summat, or tie it down with rubber bands/thread/fishing line, or weight it down with another pebble.

 

[jacblades]

mine grows extremely well with 1.5 watts per gallon.

 

[lucky62]

mine grows well in not so optimal lighting , water changes help , It can take over if you don't keep it in check . I've actually thrown it away , I had so much in my tanks , nobody to give it to .

 

[yhbae]

These guys do grow really well. Some of my tanks have less than 1w/g, and even in those tanks, they grow nicely. This plant is a must in a grow-up tank, since those tanks tends to have alot of fishes and they keep nitrate levels in check. Heck, if for whatever reason, you end up with a ammonia crash, these plants will help somewhat as well!

BUT I still haven't figured out how to make it look nice - all of mine looks like a big messy ball of green sponge balls. Small fishes really like them, but I don't like the look of them! Java ferns are far better looking, IMO.

 

[lucky62]

These guys do grow really well. Some of my tanks have less than 1w/g, and even in those tanks, they grow nicely. This plant is a must in a grow-up tank, since those tanks tends to have alot of fishes and they keep nitrate levels in check. Heck, if for whatever reason, you end up with a ammonia crash, these plants will help somewhat as well!

BUT I still haven't figured out how to make it look nice - all of mine looks like a big messy ball of green sponge balls. Small fishes really like them, but I don't like the look of them! Java ferns are far better looking, IMO.

It isn't always nice to look at , but the fish don't care do they .Some of my java fern grows in balls as well , it doesn't bother me . It's filtration as well , just like you said , yhbae.

 

[yhbae]

For java ferns, I let it grow floating until they reach about 1 inch in size, usually shaped like a ball as you mentioned. Then I look for a nice flat stone, and tie them together. Boy do these thing multiply fast!

 

[sinistral]

BUT I still haven't figured out how to make it look nice - all of mine looks like a big messy ball of green sponge balls. Small fishes really like them, but I don't like the look of them! Java ferns are far better looking, IMO.

Check out what this person did. The vesicularia is the neatly trimmed, delicate group in the center. I'm not sure if there are different species of vesicularia that are different from the regular java moss, but whatever this person did, it looks beautiful imo.

 

[endparenthesis]

Looks a little bit like Willow Moss. Or am I think of Christmas Moss... I get the two confused. I'm not sure.

 

[sinistral]

Looks a little bit like Willow Moss. Or am I think of Christmas Moss... I get the two confused. I'm not sure.

Kudos to you for that heads up endparenthesis. The excellent archive from the krib has come through for me again. Apparently the names Christmas Moss and Willow Moss are interchangeable. It is a bit confusing, but Christmas Moss sounds like it's similar in terms of ease of care to Java Moss, but it looks awesome (particularly in the Amano-style tank).

Here is that link.

I found it for sale here.