Flame moss

[Cinnebuns]

This is mostly flame moss with a little Java mixed in. It's been doing great for several months but recently started browning. At first I thought maybe I wasn't moving it around enough so all parts could get light but then I started to consider maybe nitrogen deficiency. The bioload in this tank is super small so it's nitrates tend to stay low. I haven't been dosing any fert but did just now at the thought that that's the problem. 

[The endler guy]

im no expert on any level but could it be not getting/ getting to much light?

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/2/2022 at 6:14 PM, Aiden Carter said:

im no expert on any level but could it be not getting/ getting to much light?

It's getting the same amount of light it always has even when it was thriving but one thing i considered is that not all parts are getting the same amount since I'm not really mixing it up ever. The top gets lots and the bottom not much. 

[nabokovfan87]

I had the same thing happen in my 75.  It did well for months.... years I think.  I added CO2 and then had issues with it and slowly weened all the plants off the co2 and down to "low light" levels where the plants and everything wasn't high demand.  The moss and anubias and a scattered few plants survived. 

Over the next several months the moss just kept fading.  I equate it to a plant that needed root tabs not getting them and it slowly wilted away and stopped growing overnight it seemed like. 

Moss does well with good light, no algae, and steady nutrients. 

@Odd Duck might be the perfect one to ask.

In my view, I would try to trim out dead spots, cut it so it encourages new growth, and then try to get the moss to "wake up" so to speak.  Whatever the lighting is I would add about 5% or so and see if you notice any change after the trim and the cut to encourage new growth.

Is there any chance this tank saw some salt and that lead to some die-offs?  You mentioned nitrates, but the brown makes me think something happened to cause an issue and the plant had issues recovering.  What is your dosing schedule for fertilizer in this tank?

[Kurt Brutting]

Moss and crypts are the 2 plants I cannot keep alive. I have tried many different species of both and they just melt and disappear.  It really bums me out because I love both plants. 

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/2/2022 at 7:05 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

Moss does well with good light, no algae, and steady nutrients. 

I realized after I posted what might be the issue. For awhile I was having brown algae for some reason. Strange because it's been established for about 6 months.  The brown algae did end up killing off my floaters and water sprite. A friend said brown algae tends to kill water column feeders which moss is. The algae is since gone but maybe that's what was getting to it. Maybe the moss was just tougher than the other plants and was the last hold out. 

On 11/2/2022 at 7:05 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

What is your dosing schedule for fertilizer in this tank?

Until now I wasn't dosing any ferts. I recently started adding easy green after every water change since I noticed this browning. 

On 11/2/2022 at 8:22 PM, Kurt Brutting said:

Moss and crypts are the 2 plants I cannot keep alive

I'm starting to think I'm bad with mosses too. This is the only one I've kept well for awhile but now it's going too!!  Crypts I do fine with but my other one I can't keep is water wisteria and water sprite. I think those are my hard water. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 11/2/2022 at 7:14 PM, Cinnebuns said:

Until now I wasn't dosing any ferts. I recently started adding easy green after every water change since I noticed this browning. 

Whenever you do your WC, add half a dose for the tank and treat it like anubias.  Once you see new growth and things doing well, then I would go towards monitoring things. But, for now, in terms of "finding out how to get it to go" then I would just stick with lean dose, focus on light and go from there.  One things I didn't do and wish I would've was the cutting things to encourage new growth. It might've saved mine, but I have seen moss in my tank go well with good CO2 (add an airstone if you need?) and then just play with lighting.  Hopefully you'll see some bright green growth!

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/2/2022 at 10:10 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

One things I didn't do and wish I would've was the cutting things to encourage new growth.

Good tip. I was debating if that was a thing I should do. 

[Odd Duck]

@nabokovfan87, I don’t know if I can add much.  Looks like you’ve covered everything quite well!  👍🏻

Mosses do like consistency and ferts a little on the lean side but they do need some if the bioload/feeding is very low and plants present that could outcompete the moss.  Half dosing with Easy Green regularly is a great plan.  Consistent but not too bright light also is a great plan.  Some easy flow but not so much it’s blasting the moss around can be helpful, or at least some fish that fiddle around and root through the moss a bit without being violent is good since it knocks the mulm off the moss. I’ve had moss do great then crash, too.  It can be a bit tricky to find that happy middle ground that best suits moss.

Oh, and trimming out the dead bits is a very good idea.  It greats new growing points to help the moss get denser.

[nabokovfan87]

@Odd Duck Do you think temp getting too hot could do this to moss?

[Cinnebuns]

On 11/3/2022 at 4:49 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

@Odd Duck Do you think temp getting too hot could do this to moss?

The temp is on the high side although not betta level but it also has not changed from when it was thriving till now. 

[Odd Duck]

On 11/3/2022 at 4:49 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

@Odd Duck Do you think temp getting too hot could do this to moss?

Yes.  Mosses tend to like it cooler.  I have fairly poor to no moss growth in my warmer tanks, best in my unheated tanks.