Growing Weeping Moss

[Robert]

Hi Dennis,
your moss looks great! I seems as if its habitus varies a lot due to different conditons. I keep it in a tub with little water (1'' high, 20-23°C)and strong light and it became light green and develops mainly long single fronds, similar to yours.
The weeping moss I keep in my moss tank (23°C, noticable current, DIY CO2, liquid fetiliser like in the tub) is dark green, stiff and devloped triangular, mainly upwards growing fronds. The only real difference to the tub are the strong current, a little bit more CO2 and less light.

best regards

Robert

[whuntley]

KL sent me some, a while back. It has just been slowly losing it, and there are more brown fronds than green on it, now.

My water is soft (GH = 3) and cooler than most of you. I just moved it to a west-facing window, where it can get some filtered sunlight (mostly shade) and a lot cooler nights.

The Taiwan moss he sent has gone well, indeed. It quickly covered a piece of driftwood and was overgrowing the tank. I still have most of a shoebox full of it, too. Wish I had a clue on why my fellow Californians do so well with weeping moss and it defeats me. Maybe it is too cold here.

Wright

[BeyondGomer]

I am using weeping in a new ADA (substrate and ferts) tank and I am now getting really nice growth out of it. I'll see about shooting some photos of it. Actually getting the weeping look LOL.

[strung_0ut]

Wright wrote:

Maybe it is too cold here.

Wright,

You should have no problem growing the moss in super cold water. What are the other aspects of your tank, and how do you use the moss? I believe you have your moss in still water which it seems that taxiphyllum species will do fine in opposed to vesicularia species.

Regards,'
Dennis

[whuntley]

AHA!

Dennis, I have it in a one pint clear food-storage container, with zero current. [I only had a tiny start.]

Now, which genus is it? Taxiphyllum or Vesicularia? Bet it is the latter, based on your diagnosis. If so, I can easily fix that.

Wright

[strung_0ut]

Yep, vesicularia *fererri*? Some of the moss species names sound like cars. I meant to say also, it won't do so well free-floating.

Regards,
Dennis

[whuntley]

Thanks Dennis,

Glad you got that last part in before I tried to move it. I'll tie it to a piece of very porous Lava that most such plants love to cling to.

Wish me luck,

Wright

[timebomb]

I believe you have your moss in still water which it seems that taxiphyllum species will do fine in opposed to vesicularia species.

Is that what you have discovered, Dennis? I'm curious about this. In some of my tanks, I use simple sponge filters which create only minor water movement but it does not seem to have any ill-effects on the growth of Vesicularia species. The Taxiphyllums are easy to grow so it's also hard to tell if they prefer still or moving water. But my bet would be moving water benefits both genus.

Loh K L

[strung_0ut]

My main focus which I totally forgot to put in my first post and what I actually meant was the attachment vs. the free-floating. With the word stillwater, that is what I actually meant. In my opinion, I'm not really sure if current is a factor as I have/had/have/now had a backyard tank which was unplugged(unfiltered) due to lawnmowing and never gotten around to plugging back in, and the mosses in there grew really thick attached to driftwood with no artificial light, just shaded.

Regards,
Dennis

Good Luck Wright = )

[PeterGwee]

Think of nutrients here..plants can't reach for it and needs water current to bring it to them. Do you still think "still" water is the best?

Regards
Peter Gwee

[strung_0ut]

Hi Peter,

Said nothing about it being the best, just meant that I've been able to grow moss in still water. As far as attachment goes, free floaters I have only had success with taxiphyllum species. I hope I cleared that up. Someone once told me moss was like algae, it doesn't need that much nutrients. I treat it as so. In history, didn't moss evolve from algae?

Regards,
Dennis

[jerryC]

Hi Dennis,

I have a few bunch of weeping moss on rocks and from my observation they behave rather differently.

1. They need fair amount of lights otherwise they become erect moss
2. They need time to adjust to new environment
3. They fall off easily just like riccia

My tank is pretty warm 29 - 30 deg. PH 6.8, KH 3

jerryC

[strung_0ut]

Thats interesting Jerry. How is the moss doing for you? Any browning? Do you have any pictures? I suppose if I see others come forward with warmer tanks, I'll need to change my views on moss requirements.

Regards,
Dennnis

[jerryC]

Dennis,

Here is a picture of my weeping moss.



Any difference?

[strung_0ut]

Here is mine:

I can almost, just almost taste Oriental.

Jerry,
Looks like you can grow the moss pretty well. Add some coolness and more light and achieve the extreme.

[BeyondGomer]

here is mine

[timebomb]

Wow, Tony!!

Your Weeping Moss is so lovely!!! You're one of the few, besides Dennis to achieve the weeping look.

My Weeping Moss doesn't weep at all. In fact, it grows upwards instead of hanging down.

Please tell me how you grow them. I suspect this moss needs more light than other mosses. Do you think this is true?

Loh K L

[jerryC]

Guys

Sad day. My weeping moss turned brown.

[BeyondGomer]

I had weeping moss in another tank as well. It grew upwards as well. THe tank had plenty of light, but no CO2.

The weeping moss in the picture is part of the medium light section of the tank. Another section is heavily shaded by some floating stems (need to find a new home for those) and it is weeping there too.

...so it isn't an issue of light. I think it might be CO2. Also, the weeping really happed more so as it got older/established. The mass of moss is on a 1" diameter rock LoL.

[strung_0ut]

That is a very nice picture Tony. Your moss looks very delicious. You sure have some good plant growing skills.

Mind my sidetracking...
My weeping moss wall is constantly getting attacked by utricularia. How do I get rid of this stuff? I remove it but it keeps on coming.





Here is a recently new moss that I can tell is going to look very nice. My great friend passed it to me. Its a type of vesicularia.

Creeping Moss: