Please help ID moss

**reveru** · 15th Mar 2010, 00:47

Christmas moss at base:

Unknown moss at left:

Anyone can help to identify?

**Shadow** · 16th Mar 2010, 15:10

first picture does not really look like X'mass moss. It look more like spiky moss. Try touch and feel the frond, if rough then it is X'mass (Vesicularia species), if smooth probably spiky.

The second picture look like weeping moss (Vesicularia ferriei) from the way the frond grow downward. Again if you touch it, it should be rough

**Shadow** · 16th Mar 2010, 15:14

Forgot to attached link, you can find various moss from below link to help you ID.

weeping moss:
http://www.aquamoss.net/Weeping-Moss/Weeping-Moss.htm

http://www.aquamoss.net/Moss-List.htm

**reveru** · 16th Mar 2010, 15:19

I have no doubt that the first moss is christmas moss as it came from blue33's tank

the second moss does look like weeping moss. i guess i'll monitor the growth over the next couple of weeks to confirm. thanks for the ID as well as the useful links!

**felix_fx2** · 16th Mar 2010, 15:31

reveru,

The unknown moss looks like Singapore moss in my tank when i was still using PL lights.
If you can do a closeup maybe can find out, if not can ask Loh (timebomb)

**Shadow** · 16th Mar 2010, 15:40

yeah ask the expert, or sent some sample

**blue33** · 16th Mar 2010, 16:04

Since when i pass you the moss?

I dont remember i pass you anything? Second picture looks like weeping moss to me.

Originally Posted by reveru

I have no doubt that the first moss is christmas moss as it came from blue33's tank

the second moss does look like weeping moss. i guess i'll monitor the growth over the next couple of weeks to confirm. thanks for the ID as well as the useful links!

**reveru** · 16th Mar 2010, 17:21

oh no not directly, it was the spares from edwardchuajh's tank. he told me he got from you mah.

**blue33** · 16th Mar 2010, 17:29

It could be some mix of Singapore moss also.

But they are extremely healthy aren't they?

**timebomb** · 16th Mar 2010, 17:29

I'll say the first one is Spiky Moss and the second, Weeping Moss. Over time, the Spiky will throw out much larger fronds. It's an easy-to-grow moss. As for the Weeping, it needs a lower temperature than Spiky or the leaves will turn brown. Actually, it's very hard to grow the Weeping Moss successfully without a chiller.

Shadow suggested that you sent a sample of the moss to me for identification. If you decide to do that, I will have to tell you first that I can only try to identify the moss for you from my own experiences with mosses. In other words, I could very well be wrong.

With some mosses, I'm happy to bring them to the professor for him to identify. But these mosses have to first satisfy 2 conditions - One, it must grow underwater and two, you must be able to tell me the country of origin. Actually, there is also a 3rd condition - in that, the moss must also be something new to the hobby. I have to impose these conditions because the professor is a busy man. I can't ask him to repeatedly identify mosses that have already been identified before. Hope you understand.

Loh K L

**reveru** · 16th Mar 2010, 18:14

blue33: i think they are definitely christmas moss. cos edwardchuajh and me spent quite a while sorting out the various fronds from the spares that he had. now the fronds that i tied to the bogwood grow out looking very xmassy. one thing for sure, they are really very healthy when i got them. but i think i exposed them to dry air for too long during the moss tying so some of it turned yellow for the first week. but now that they are growing, its nice and green. very happy with it.

timebomb: hi loh, thanks for the generous offer regarding the moss ID. as of now, i will continue to grow it and see how it develops, perhaps it will become clearer in a couple of weeks time. in the mean time, some background about the conditions, it is grown in a tank with a chiller, mean temp about 25-26deg C. i noticed you mention that weeping may need lower temperature, may i ask your opinion of the optimum temperature range? i noticed that some of the fronds of this moss nearer to the surface of the water have brown fringes, perhaps due to the warmer water found nearer the surface.

i will try to get a close up picture of the moss within the next week. after that, if i get desperate enough, i will send you a sample for your opinion. i think that it would be better NOT to disturb your prof as he seems like a really busy person. thanks for the kind offer!

**blue33** · 16th Mar 2010, 18:48

Good to hear that.

**timebomb** · 17th Mar 2010, 13:43

Originally Posted by reveru

blue33
timebomb: hi loh, thanks for the generous offer regarding the moss ID. as of now, i will continue to grow it and see how it develops, perhaps it will become clearer in a couple of weeks time. in the mean time, some background about the conditions, it is grown in a tank with a chiller, mean temp about 25-26deg C. i noticed you mention that weeping may need lower temperature, may i ask your opinion of the optimum temperature range? i noticed that some of the fronds of this moss nearer to the surface of the water have brown fringes, perhaps due to the warmer water found nearer the surface.

I would say your temperature (25-26C) should be low enough to grow Weeping Moss. As you have noticed, the moss turns brown easily. We know for sure that one reason for the browning is high temperatures but there could be other factors involved too. Some speculate that it could be due to the Ph of the water while others say it could be that the water isn't clean enough, meaning the water should be changed more frequently. Honestly, I don't know the answer. With my own experience, the Weeping Moss often starts to turn brown at the bottom of the fronds and not at the fringes.

Loh K L