chem
Dec 2nd 2008, 10:09 PM
The following was an article that I submitted to the KWAS (Kitchener Waterloo Aquarium Society) a few months ago.
Mosses for the Masses
Aquatic mosses have become very popular lately among planted tank enthusiasts due to their unique look, relative ease of care and potentials for aquascaping. The Division: Bryophyta consists of three primary groupings: liverworts, hornworts, and mosses; this article will focus exclusively on the latter of the three and discuss their general biology and then, more specifically, the common aquatic mosses available for use in the aquarium.
Biology and Species Identification
There are thousands of different mosses present on the earth but only handfuls are capable of fully immersed life. Unlike stem plants, all mosses are non-vascular in their makeup; meaning they have no means of transporting water or nutrients other than by simple diffusion. It is this primitive type of transport that accounts for mosses ecological distribution and low-lying growth. They have rhizoid, which are similar looking to roots, but play more of a role in anchoring mosses to items as opposed to nutrient uptake.
Identification of mosses can be very difficult to do with the naked eye and unfortunately, misidentification, even by people familiar with mosses, is common. The best method involves microscopic analysis of their frond (leaf) structure and spores. Because most people do not have access to a microscope or may not have the desire to investigate at this level the remainder of this article will focus on macroscopic species identification based on frond structure and general characteristics of 11 different mosses available for the aquarium.
Aquatic Mosses:
Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri) – This is the most common and well-known moss in the aquatic trade. Tends to have dark green fronds which are thin. Very, very easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Java-Moss/images/Java-Moss-01-s.jpg
Singapore Moss – (Vesicularia dubyana) – This has a very robust structure and it light green in color. Very easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Singapore-Moss/images/Singapore-Moss-01-s.jpg
Christmas Moss – (Vesicularia montagnei) – The frond structure is triangular and resembles a branch of a coniferous tree. Very easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Christmas-Moss/images/Christmas-Moss-Wall-s.jpg
Phoenix Moss – (Fissidens Fontanus) – Relatively easy to identify because of its unique frond structure. Easy to grow but is prone to algae buildup
http://aquamoss.net/Fissidens-fontanus/images/Fissidens-fontanus-08-s.jpg
Flame Moss – (Taxiphyllum sp. ‘flame’) – It too is relatively easy to identify because of the vertical growth of the fronds in an undulating manner. Requires more light than the previous ones mentioned.
http://aquamoss.net/Flame-Moss/images/Flame-Moss-01-s.jpg
Erect Moss – (Vesicularia reticulata) – This moss also has vertical growth patterns of its fronds and is distinguished from Flame moss by having many more side branches coming off of it.
http://aquamoss.net/Erect-Moss/images/Erect-Moss-02-s.jpg
Taiwan Moss – (Taxiphyllum alternans) – Can be confused with Christmas moss easily. The side branches of the fronds tend to be longer and spaced farther apart. Not considered to be difficult to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Taiwan-Moss/images/Taiwan-Moss-Wall-03-s.jpg
Peacock Moss – (Taxiphyllum sp. 'peacock') – The fronds look similar to Christmas but tend to grow out from one central point. Not considered difficult to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Peacock-Moss/images/Peacock-Moss-On-Rock-01-s.jpg
Zipper Moss – (Fissidens zippelianus) – Very rigid structure. The side branches from the central “stalk” are predictable, repeatable and resemble one half of a zipper. I consider this to be a very difficult moss to grow and have not had much success with it.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p254/pyramid_album/ZipperMoss01.jpg
Willow Moss – (Fontinalis antipyretica) – The fronds tend to be very large. Can be found locally and is easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Willow-Moss/images/Willow-Moss-02-s.jpg
Weeping Moss – (Vesicularia ferriei) – The fronds are very robust and will curl or weep downwards when attached to driftwood. Not difficult to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Weeping-Moss/images/Weeping-Moss-02-s.jpg
Conclusion
Aquatic mosses are one of the easiest plants to grow in the aquarium. However, because most people do not look upon them as being a plant they overlook the fact that attention to water parameters, nutrients and light are just as necessary as stemmed plants. If mosses are provided with good water flow and cooler temperatures they will flourish in your tank with relative ease and can quickly become your tanks focal point.
Mosses for the Masses
Aquatic mosses have become very popular lately among planted tank enthusiasts due to their unique look, relative ease of care and potentials for aquascaping. The Division: Bryophyta consists of three primary groupings: liverworts, hornworts, and mosses; this article will focus exclusively on the latter of the three and discuss their general biology and then, more specifically, the common aquatic mosses available for use in the aquarium.
Biology and Species Identification
There are thousands of different mosses present on the earth but only handfuls are capable of fully immersed life. Unlike stem plants, all mosses are non-vascular in their makeup; meaning they have no means of transporting water or nutrients other than by simple diffusion. It is this primitive type of transport that accounts for mosses ecological distribution and low-lying growth. They have rhizoid, which are similar looking to roots, but play more of a role in anchoring mosses to items as opposed to nutrient uptake.
Identification of mosses can be very difficult to do with the naked eye and unfortunately, misidentification, even by people familiar with mosses, is common. The best method involves microscopic analysis of their frond (leaf) structure and spores. Because most people do not have access to a microscope or may not have the desire to investigate at this level the remainder of this article will focus on macroscopic species identification based on frond structure and general characteristics of 11 different mosses available for the aquarium.
Aquatic Mosses:
Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri) – This is the most common and well-known moss in the aquatic trade. Tends to have dark green fronds which are thin. Very, very easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Java-Moss/images/Java-Moss-01-s.jpg
Singapore Moss – (Vesicularia dubyana) – This has a very robust structure and it light green in color. Very easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Singapore-Moss/images/Singapore-Moss-01-s.jpg
Christmas Moss – (Vesicularia montagnei) – The frond structure is triangular and resembles a branch of a coniferous tree. Very easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Christmas-Moss/images/Christmas-Moss-Wall-s.jpg
Phoenix Moss – (Fissidens Fontanus) – Relatively easy to identify because of its unique frond structure. Easy to grow but is prone to algae buildup
http://aquamoss.net/Fissidens-fontanus/images/Fissidens-fontanus-08-s.jpg
Flame Moss – (Taxiphyllum sp. ‘flame’) – It too is relatively easy to identify because of the vertical growth of the fronds in an undulating manner. Requires more light than the previous ones mentioned.
http://aquamoss.net/Flame-Moss/images/Flame-Moss-01-s.jpg
Erect Moss – (Vesicularia reticulata) – This moss also has vertical growth patterns of its fronds and is distinguished from Flame moss by having many more side branches coming off of it.
http://aquamoss.net/Erect-Moss/images/Erect-Moss-02-s.jpg
Taiwan Moss – (Taxiphyllum alternans) – Can be confused with Christmas moss easily. The side branches of the fronds tend to be longer and spaced farther apart. Not considered to be difficult to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Taiwan-Moss/images/Taiwan-Moss-Wall-03-s.jpg
Peacock Moss – (Taxiphyllum sp. 'peacock') – The fronds look similar to Christmas but tend to grow out from one central point. Not considered difficult to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Peacock-Moss/images/Peacock-Moss-On-Rock-01-s.jpg
Zipper Moss – (Fissidens zippelianus) – Very rigid structure. The side branches from the central “stalk” are predictable, repeatable and resemble one half of a zipper. I consider this to be a very difficult moss to grow and have not had much success with it.
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p254/pyramid_album/ZipperMoss01.jpg
Willow Moss – (Fontinalis antipyretica) – The fronds tend to be very large. Can be found locally and is easy to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Willow-Moss/images/Willow-Moss-02-s.jpg
Weeping Moss – (Vesicularia ferriei) – The fronds are very robust and will curl or weep downwards when attached to driftwood. Not difficult to grow.
http://aquamoss.net/Weeping-Moss/images/Weeping-Moss-02-s.jpg
Conclusion
Aquatic mosses are one of the easiest plants to grow in the aquarium. However, because most people do not look upon them as being a plant they overlook the fact that attention to water parameters, nutrients and light are just as necessary as stemmed plants. If mosses are provided with good water flow and cooler temperatures they will flourish in your tank with relative ease and can quickly become your tanks focal point.