Moss

[Majjie]

I haven't ventured onto this part of the forum before. I like my tanks to look quite heavily planted but it's all a bit hit and miss.

This is my lively tank with five tiger barbs, assorted danios and six dwarf chain loaches. It's 19 US gal and has two 15w strip lights with reflectors - so the plants need to be fairly tolerant of low light levels.

This moss started to grow on the filter housing (at the water surface) about six months ago and I just let it. Recently it fell off - so I've put it on the bog wood. It's the only plant in the tank that ever pearls - because it's close to the lights.

Is it an aquatic moss - or is it commmon or garden uuhhh.. garden moss? If it's the latter - is there any reason why I shouldn't leave it in the tank - I quite like it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Liam]

I have some garden moss that has been growing for four months under water, it was growing on a piece of bogwood that was left in the garden, I left some of it on when I put it in the tank, its still growing, it seems that some terrestrial mosses can grow under water. It seems to have slowed down now it doesnt cling onto the bogwood except where it was growing on the wood before it went into the tank. Yeah your moss looks nice no reason to remove it unless it starts to rot. I guess mosses must be semi aquatic and able to cope with being submegrged for some time.

Edit to say your tank looks nice, good healthy lush growth

 

[Majjie]

Thanks Liam

I'll leave it and see what happens. It seems to be thriving - but it is only just below the surface.

 

[planter]

looks good!

 

[Majjie]

Thanks Planter

I left it to grow because I liked the look of it. I've done a little bit of research on mosses - but it didn't really help! It seems that many can grow both submersed and emersed and you really need a microscope to identify them.

It seeded (spored?) itself in the tank and I guess spores from the garden are most likely - but you'd think it would be too warm for native mosses to thrive.

This is a close up - if there are any moss experts on here:

 

[khenghock]

I'm certainly not an expert, but it looks like Christmas/Singapore moss to me.

 

[Majjie]

Yeah, Khenghock, I wondered about Christmas moss - but then I thought it would be too good to be true - to get it for nothing!

I suppose it could have come in with some of the aquatic plants - but so many of the mosses look alike. Native feather mosses seem to look very similar.

 

[demonmagus]

what plants do you have in there, I have a low light set up and that looks great,

 

[Majjie]

Hi demonmagus,

Thanks for your comments. I'm afraid I'm not very good at keeping track of the names of the plants.

There's an Echinodorus in the middle at the back - possibly E.major (it's a bit starved but surviving).

The feathery one, back left, is Limnophila sessiliflora (I have some of this in most of my tanks - it either takes off or it dies back - I suspect it is affected by chemicals produced by the other plants, but have no proof! )

The tall plants are either Hygrophila spp. (the largest leafed one on the right is, I think H. corymbosa "Stricta") or Ludwigia. I have quite a lot of Ludwigia arcuata in several of my tanks - the leaves only turn red as they get near to the light at the top. I cut them back periodically and re-plant the tips - which promptly turn green again - but I quite like the effect.

The bright, pale green one at the front is Cardamine lyrata. It has a tendency to die off when first planted (presumably due to the low light intensity). If you can nurse it up to a reasonable height, though, it really thrives and looks lovely. When it gets too tall I simply pull it all out and replant a clump - bottom leaves and all (I know they will rot but I'm guessing the filter will cope and the stems are just too fragile for any leaf trimming).

At the front I have Anubias nana and Anubias congenis and, in the middle where it is lightest, assorted Cryptocorynes, mostly (I think) C. x willisii and C. wendtii varieties (but the green ones rather than the brown ones).

There are also a couple of sickly Vallisnerias, the dwarf Java fern Microsorium pteropus "Windelov", a bit of Java moss - and the mystery moss, of course.

Hope that helps - bet you wish you hadn't asked now

 

[Dubby]

This website http/www.aquamoss.net/ may help you identofy the moss.

 

[Majjie]

Thanks Dubby - beautiful pics in that link. I love the idea of green sock moss

Superficially mine does look a bit like Christmas moss - but it still could be a non aquatic variety. Short of getting that microscope, I may never know!