When Java Moss Doesn't Grow...What does that say about my tanks?

[PineSong]

When I set up my current tank (20g long with Finnex Stingray) in July this year, I bought a sheet of java moss. Based on past experience I thought "I'm probably going to regret this in a few months when I have to use a machete to clear space in my tank". Womp womp.

I have less moss now than when I started.  Finnex lights, sunlight, incandescent lights--each of my tanks has different light and none of them are growing moss. I think the total amount of moss I have growing right now is less than the size of two cotton balls.

I even bought two moss-covered sticks from Petco. One has died back and one has grown about four threads of moss a half an inch long.

My water is very hard, GH 300, pH is 6.8 to 7.0 depending on the tank. 

Any ideas? I originally wanted the moss to help fry. But at this point I'm just stubborn and want to grow moss!

 

 

 

 

[Scapexghost]

Are they covered in algae? What are you nitrates?

[PineSong]

On 11/17/2021 at 11:40 PM, Scapexghost said:

Are they covered in algae? What are you nitrates?

Nitrates are 10 in the tank shown below, are 0 in my larger more planted tanks.  They do not look covered in algae to me. These two rocks are in a tank with guppies and platies and are the "most" moss I've got in one place:

[OnlyGenusCaps]

Your water sounds like mine, and I kill moss too.  I want to know the answer to this too.  Thanks for asking about this!

[Gator]

@PineSong; Vesicularia dubyana, AKA Java Moss prefers water temps between 68 to 86 degrees, 2 degrees to 15 degrees dCH, and a pH 5.8 to 7.5, try bringing your GH down as low as you can. All of my tanks are blackwater tanks and I have Java Moss in one of them that grows so much that I have to cut it back quite frequently and pull new growth off of the filter's pre-filter sponge. 

[PedroPete]

Hmmm it grows well for me in very hard water… maybe it’s the lower level of nitrates in your water?

[Patrick_G]

Hmm, I’d experiment with higher Nitrate levels. 

[PineSong]

On 11/18/2021 at 11:38 AM, Gator said:

@PineSong; Vesicularia dubyana, AKA Java Moss prefers water temps between 68 to 86 degrees, 2 degrees to 15 degrees dCH, and a pH 5.8 to 7.5, try bringing your GH down as low as you can. All of my tanks are blackwater tanks and I have Java Moss in one of them that grows so much that I have to cut it back quite frequently and pull new growth off of the filter's pre-filter sponge. 

Argh, I might have to live without moss then. I would like to grow it, but not badly enough to fool around with my GH, especially with all these livebearers in my tanks, but also because I need things to be simple. 

Maybe I will try a different moss or try again after my tanks have more age on them and more accumulated mulm. 

[Jennifer V]

@PineSong I have very hard water and haven't been able to keep Java moss alive but the Christmas moss I bought is growing like crazy. Maybe that's an option to try? 

[gardenman]

I find some plants just don't want to grow in some tanks. I'm not sure there's a rhyme or reason to it. Aquatic plants just do what they want to do.

[Dawn T]

I can't seem to grow it either. It's small, scraggly, and not spreading in 2 tanks. Completely died in 2 others. My water tends to be 300 dGH, pH 7.2-7.6, depending on the tank. The tanks stay in the 73-77 degree range, so I know temp isn't the issue. At least I don't have to worry about it taking over the world as I was warned it would do. 😁

Oh, and the 2 tanks it's still managing to survive in are between 10-25 ppm nitrate.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Dawn T

[PineSong]

On 11/20/2021 at 2:54 PM, Dawn T said:

I can't seem to grow it either. It's small, scraggly, and not spreading in 2 tanks. Completely died in 2 others. My water tends to be 300 dGH, pH 7.2-7.6, depending on the tank. The tanks stay in the 73-77 degree range, so I know temp isn't the issue. At least I don't have to worry about it taking over the world as I was warned it would do. 😁

Oh, and the 2 tanks it's still managing to survive in are between 10-25 ppm nitrate.

I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. I'm going to try Christmas moss and see if I get better results. I want to live the dream of having enough to prune back!

[Dawn T]

On 11/20/2021 at 6:54 PM, PineSong said:

I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. I'm going to try Christmas moss and see if I get better results. I want to live the dream of having enough to prune back!

I hear you. I keep thinking, prune back and it gets thicker? Not in my case, for sure. Prune back and it just gets shorter. LOL

[laritheloud]

Try Taiwan or Christmas Moss. Taiwan Moss grew very well in my tank before I got tired of it and ripped it out.

[Bev C]

I am so glad I am not alone with the moss not growing  I wanted a moss tree, and they claim java moss was easy to grow  not in my tank lost every bit of it. I thought at first it because I was just starting with plants and balance my tank with the algae & lights and fertilizer , & nitrates . I even had my light density up high and  down low (20-30 %) still no luck. plus adjust my Easy Green 

I tried  the moss again after tank balance   still no luck I have just a pinch left of the moss, and it is not growing with no algae on it ...it sits on a small piece of wood.   

Matter fact none of the easy beginner plants that was recommended I can not keep ,Java Moss , Java Fern & Anubias  Banana plants   killed them all .. And I rebought them and killed them again after balance tank  

 

But I can grow Crypts, Ludwigia  and other root feeders and 3  floating plants 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Bev C

[Dawn T]

@Bev C Totally hear you. Some things, I have no problem growing. Crypts. Pogostemon. Hygrophila. Anubias. Bacopa. No issues. Others....?

Java Ferns does so-so, nothing to write home about, no matter what tank it's in or what the lighting or ferts routine. Water sprite? Total flop. Died a slow death. Ludwigia? No go. Died a rapid death. Now the Java Moss that's barely holding on.

Pearl Weed? A WEED! Supposed to grow so fast even in medium light conditions as to be almost unmanageable. Grows so slowly for me as to look like it's not growing at all. On the upside, it's not threatening to take over my tanks as others have reported online. It's beautiful and green and looks healthy, but growth is REALLY slow. As long as it's healthy, I've decided I can live with that. Not that I have much choice but to accept it. 😁

Oh, and let's not forget the poor sprigs of Ammania that are languishing in one of my tanks and have died in the other. I'm sure it would do better if I removed the Pogostemon that's keeping it too shaded and has to be hacked back every couple of weeks. So at least I know what that ones issue probably is. LOL

[eatyourpeas]

I have not been able to grow Java moss either… maybe not enough nitrates as everything else seems to be doing well.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I think sometimes it’s just some other nutrients or metal that’s in the water inhibiting it’s growth and unless you send your water out you may never know. I agree with switching it up in terms of a different moss. Subwassertang does very well for me whereas Java moss I feel like quarterly I’m buying another portion off the web. I’ve been super patient with a portion of fissidens I got a year ago and it’s now 3”x3”. Another thing is I’ve had both snails and fish who live to eat moss so it can be those kind of factors. 

[PineSong]

On 11/23/2021 at 9:48 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

 Another thing is I’ve had both snails and fish who live to eat moss so it can be those kind of factors. 

Hmmm, what kinds of snails eat the moss? This is a factor I had not calculated.