# River Moss Help



## chiefkyle (May 3, 2004)

A couple days ago, I got a lot of mossy rocks from my local creek. I loved the way it looked, so I setup my tank with it.

Got Moss? Article.

The today I noticed that my tank was mucked up with so much hairy moss flotting around, that it was murky (and not in a good way). So I pulled all the mossy rock from the tank. While doing this, I noticed the mossy was soft, but so brittle it was falling apart in my hands.

Question: Is there anyway possible to aclaimate this moss from the creek it cam from, to an 80 degree tank?

Articles and Ideas are greatly sugeusted. Thanks.


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## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

I'm afraid you're probably not going to be able to keep this "moss" alive. Your moss is actually a type of alage that grows in cold water. I've found it growing in rivers with temps in the 50s-60sF.

So your number one problem is that it's really a colder water type of alage. Your second problem is that this stuff grow in direct sunlight, in pretty shallow water. The regular flourscents just wont cut it for this stuff.

Aside from the mentioned problems, this alage is probably used to a very high oxygen content because of the turbid waters found in rivers. Also, you've got no idea what kind of nutrients are in that water. Most alages feed on either phosphates, silicates, or nitrates. The only one of these that is readibly available in a tank(and the only one you kind of want) is nitrate.

So sorry man, looks like no dice on the alage. I wish it would work because it sure does look cool as hell.

If you've got a LFS that carries an extensive plant selection, ask them if they can order "clump moss." The store I work at carries some little balls of dark green fine threaded moss that looks similar to the stuff you found.


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

I agree with Gumby.









What you got there is an algae NOT a moss.So i believe that this will not work.FYI i have succesfully aclimatise true river moss (Cristmas Moss to be specific) in a tank with 27 celcius.


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## chiefkyle (May 3, 2004)

Thanks Gumby for your help. I use to have Java moss, but couldn't get it to grow very well at all.









I took the algae and put it into a 75gallon with 5"-6" River Chubs. I figured it was a lost cause, but I was hoping.


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## Gumby (Aug 13, 2004)

Couldn't get Java Moss to grow? Thats a new one.

Most of our customers at the store I work at bring us gallon bags of the stuff because it wont STOP growing









I gave my mom some to throw in her betta bowl to help oxygenate the water and break down some waste. The bowl was sitting in the kitchen under regular incandescent lighting and the moss too over so fast that the fish bearly had room to swim









Java moss care is pretty easy: give it some water and light. Thats it







It seems to perfer dirty water(more nutrients). As far as lighting goes, it can take just about anything. I've got java moss in my 125 that has 5x55 watt power compacts on it and it's growing damn well in there. But keep in mind it also went crazy sitting on a counter top under incandescent lamps.

J. Moss does seem to go through some sort of acclimation phase where about 50-70% of it browns up then floats away, but the surviving stuff really starts to take off in the next few weeks. Try getting some moss and very loosely tying it to a porus rock or driftwood with some sewing string and setting it in a medium light area, you should be to the "Damn, my java moss needs a haircut" point in no time


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