Java Moss, a member of the Hypnacease family, is commonly found in moist tropical climates like that of Southeast Asia. They can be seen growing around river banks, tree trunks, and on the surface of rocks.
Java Moss aquarium is quite hardy and needs minimal lightning. They are the best plant for the breeding tank and help to improve the health of the tank. The fishes can lay eggs, feed on them, and use them to hide as well. They are all-purpose plant and are hardy enough to tolerate the nibbling from a fish.
They can be kept with a wide variety of fish and can be easily purchased from offline or online stores. They are commonly found in an aquarium, and aquarists can be seen showing enthusiasm in planting them as a hobby and aquascaping.
Let’s take a brief look at the table before going to its details –
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Family | Hypnacease |
| Care Level | Very easy |
| Temperature | 15 to 30°C (59-86F) |
| Growth Rate | Low to Bright |
| pH | 5.0 to 8.0 |
Java Moss Introduction
Java Moss belongs to the genus Taxiphyllum, but there has been much confusion regarding their scientific name. Java moss scientific name is recently changed to Taxiphyllum Barbieri, which was formerly Vesicularia Dubyana. While buying Java Moss plants only use its Latin name to avoid confusion and getting the wrong plant.
Java Moss plants are easy to plant, care, and make any boring tank look alive. Even if you are a beginner, you won’t have to put much effort into keeping them alive. They can be grown underwater and above water. The only difference is their size. The bright green leaves of the Java moss planted underwater will be much smaller than the one planted above water.
They have tiny overlapped oval-shaped leaves covering its small, irregular branched stems. It has rhizoids that can attach themselves to any rough surfaces like that of gravel, rocks, driftwood, and other commercial decorations. They don’t have any real roots as they can use their stems or leaves to suck nutrients.
Uses of Java Moss
Java moss can be used for various purposes, some of them are given below –
- Decoration – Aquarists use Java Moss to make the harsh features of the tank look attractive. You can grow Java Moss on the walls or floors of the aquarium and even on the filter to match the background.
These little plants give a natural feel to the tank. You will even find them on the surface of the trees or rocks in the forest if any stream or river is nearby.
- Aquascaping – This is the most popular use and quite famous among the aquarists. Aquascaping is an art of arranging stones, plants, driftwood, etc. in the aquarium to enhance its beauty like underwater gardening.
- Breeder tank – Java moss is famously used in the breeder tank. It makes the fish feel comfortable, lay eggs, and a place for fries or shrimps to hide.
Apart from giving shelter, it gives a perfect space to harbor infusoria for the fries to feed on them. It is also quite commonly found in the shrimp tank.
Java Moss Care and Tank Requirements
Java moss aquarium looks very beautiful. Java Moss can grow in any water condition. But to get the healthy-looking plants with fast growth, you have to maintain it. The requirements are given in the table below –
| Condition | Parameter |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 70o to 86o F |
| pH | 5 to 8 pH |
| Hardness | Up to 20 dGH |
Java moss can tolerate temperature above 86o F, but the growth will be slower, and the plant will not look healthy enough. The lightning of the tank can vary from low to bright. The difference will be visible on the leaves.
With low lighting, the Java Moss plant will have a darker and lankier appearance, whereas, in bright lighting, the plant will have a dense and compact appearance. Also, the bright lighting will encourage the growth of algae in the tank.
How Fast Does Java Moss Grow?
These plants are compatible with most of the fishes and don’t require any external elements. Still, if you think the plants are growing slowly, you can add CO2 and fertilizers in the water.
Java Moss Care
Java moss is as easy to maintain as to plant. The maintenance depends on the kind of look you want from them. If you want a dense look, then leave them as they are. They will soon give a denser look to your aquarium.
If you don’t want this, then you can trim them regularly to give them the desired shape of your choice. For trimming, you will need a pair of scissors that have precision and sharpness.
Apart from trimming, Java moss needs low maintenance. The best thing you can do with them and what the experts will advise is to leave them alone and let them grow on their own. Don’t try to move it, especially.
Common Problems with Java Moss
Java moss adds beauty and attractiveness to whatever it is plant onto. But it can bring some problems for your tank as well. The common problems faced by aquarists are algae growth in the tank.
Java moss is used as decoration or covering equipment like filters. These same beautiful Java moss can clog the filter if not taken care of. Not only filter, but it can also take over your entire tank if the moss grew thick and dense. They will ruin the quality of water and stop it from reaching the middle section.
Another but main problem faced by Java moss is algae growth. This problem is real and takes a lot of struggles to remove from the plant and clean the tank. If the algae growth is at a peak, then remove java moss from your aquarium, and restarting everything is the only option.
Poor water conditions and excessive lightning trigger the growth of algae. If you still want to rescue it instead of restarting everything again, then you can use a toothbrush to remove the algae from the leaves. For this, you have to be very careful and need patience. Also, don’t pull the Java Moss while cleaning it.
Some aquarists suggest the use of chemicals to deal with this problem. One of the chemicals is Seachem’s Flourish Excel. It works fine, but it is a temporary solution, and to fix it permanently, you have to get to its roots.
A small number of algae won’t harm your tank, but a huge number can create a mess. Lightning, plant nutrients, carbon dioxide, and poor water conditions are the main factor which can enhance their growth. Maintaining the first three factors will help to maintain the water conditions. So, keep a regular check on the changing parameters of these factors.
Is your java moss turning brown?
How to Grow Java Moss?
How to Plant Java Moss?
Growing Java moss is effortless and usually depends on your need. You can install them on any surface or leave it floating on the water surface. Java moss doesn’t take much effort to propagate.
How to grow java moss fast?
You can cut a piece and place it wherever you want it to grow. Floating Java moss is easy to plant. All you have to do it leave it on the surface of the water, and it will grow on its own.
Most aquarists prefer it to grow on any surface so that it will stay attached there. For growing Java moss on driftwood or rocks, first lay a thin layer on their surface. Then, bind them using the fishing net or dark threads.
Once the Java moss has attached to the surface, it can take a month or more, and you can remove the thread or net from the surface.
Java Moss Carpet or Wall
You can also grow a Java moss carpet or Java moss wall. It will give a breath-taking look to the tank, and they are easy to maintain as well.
You will need some fishing line, two pieces of mesh, and dark-colored thread for creating the Java Moss carpet. First, make sure the material is properly cleaned or sanitized and is non-toxic. After that, lay down the first mesh on the floor and lightly cover with java moss. You don’t need to keep it whole so just cut the bits off the plant. It will help to sit straight as well.
Once you have covered the first mesh properly, use the second one to cover the top like a sandwich. After that, use the threads to secure them firmly. You can lay it on the floor or hang on the wall of the tank and let it grow. You will get a stunning look for the tank after the growth of the plants.
Java Moss Tree
You can also create a Java Moss tree out of these using driftwood. The driftwood should be able to stand vertically and have few branches out. If you don’t have it, you can just stick a few pieces of woods to give it a look of a tree.
Also, make sure the glue you use should be for aquarium use only and also check if it carries any chemical. The chemical can harm the quality of water.
After creating the tree from the wood, collect java moss. You can take it from your tank itself but be careful not to dry it out. Then, use a small amount of java moss and gently attach it to the branches using glue. Once you have completed doing this, you can trim off if there is any extra bit.
Is Java Moss for your Aquarium?
In this article, we learned everything about java moss. They are hardy and suitable for all kinds of fishes and aquariums. They have many uses, from decoration purposes to providing shelter to fries or shrimps.
They add beauty and gives a stunning look to the aquarium. They can bear extreme conditions, are easy to grow, and you won’t face many problems even if you’re a beginner.
The common problem that the aquarists face with them is algae growth. This problem can be prevented by taking precautions and proper cleaning and cycling of water. But if the problem reached its peak, then you can only cure it by removing the plant and starting everything all over again.
Do you have any experience with these plants? What kind of challenges did you face, and how you cured them? Let us know in the comment box given below.