Advice on Java Moss

fabby10

Hey guys,

I read up on Java Moss and understand that they are very good plants to have as they are hardy and GROWS really FAST no matter what the lighting or pH is.

Was thinking of getting some of them for my tank. On the other hand, was told they will spread all over and I intend to have corys in my tank in time to come. Thus, if a carpet of Java Moss were to grow on my substrate, will the corys live well on them?

Normally, Java Moss is sold on a drift wood, and from my experience, the wood makes the water yellowish in color. If possible, i would not want the water to have a yellow hue and thus is there a way to prevent that? Or is it normal?

Lastly, is there a specific way to trim Java Moss or do we just cut to shorten it?

Angel079

That's not exactly correct. Java grows easily yes, however it still needs proper light & water in order to really thrive.
Java is a plant that needs attaching to rocks or driftwood. It will not root itself into the gravel and built runners to form a nice carpet if that's what you're intending to have.
That said, there's no problem having it attached somewhere and have Cory in the tank.
If you properly boil DW a few times before adding it to the tank, it will not stain your water that much at all and yes its normal from the tannis getting released from the wood.

I'm not all too sure the plant you're choosing is really what you want to achieve - So let's go the other way around: What do you want as end result in your tank (what plants do you maybe already have in there) and maybe we can find a more suitable plant for you from there if you like?

fabby10

I definitely like the idea of having Java Moss in my tank as they are easy to propagate and fairly easy to have from the readings i have done from the net.

Like i mentioned earlier, I would not want to have a full blown planted tank, maybe just a little garden of Java Moss and some cabomba on the surface (floating). My purpose of having some plants in my tank is to add some natural and green color into it. And most importantly, it helps in filtering or should i say help in water quality as well? Need more explanation on this though..

The problem is that the fish shops here normally sell Java Moss in a DW, thus i can't just boil them. lol. How do you suggest i do it? Detached it from the DW and attach to a rock or something?

Fishin Pole

Java Moss is easily grown in all kind of waters, from brackish to low PH, and can easily be grown from any light source...(i think i could grow this stuff with candlelight!)....It is one of the easiest plants to grow and have thrive in any aquarium, and will spread rapidily...............If you want to grow a carpet of the stuff, you can simply place a handful of gravel over a portion of the stuff and it will attach itself to your substrate in a few weeks.....Its a great plant for shrimp tanks and any tank you have fry in.......It allows the fry to pick up small pieces of algae and leftover food stuck in it, and it also gives a safe retreat from larger fish......Having plants in your tank wil help alot with your water quality, live plants do an exceptional job at keeping your nitrates at a low level, if everything is in balance.....


I have found that if you soak your driftwood in a bucket for an extended period, with as many water changes as possible, you will remove the tannins more easily.......It will take longer, but the results will be better...........IMO

Angel079

Just soak the DW in a lil warmish water in a bucket, that'll do it over a few days (exchange water each day) so you don't have to boil it.
I'll try get you pic's of my newly created Java "Carpet" today and post them for ya with the java "wall".
Stuff sure grows QUICK and nice that's for sure. I started in the 10g with 1/2 cup before thanksgiving now I have about 1.5 cups in there

Plants absorb nitrates as well as they absorb any other nutrition, that's what they need to live & thrive. So they're much like a natural filter if you will, which is why a filter going out on a planted tank is no big deal, on a non planted it can quickly be fatal.
And of cause they add to the looks of the tank

fabby10

Yes, i agree that the view of a tank with plants definitely creates a better view of it!

As for the DW, if I were to get some Java Moss attached to a DW, I can just let it soak in the tank without any aeration or light? For how many days?

Anyways, i just went to the fish shop just now and found out they do sell Java Moss singly (meaning not attached to anything). Whats the best way to get it attached to a rock and how long will it take for the plant to anchor itself on the rock?

I don't really understand why they are selling Java Moss at such a high price considering they are in abundance here in Asia. It cost MYR10.00 for a small pack. lol.

The Java Moss which is attached to a DW cost MYR16.00 but there are a lot of debris and dust on it, certainly did not look nice/healthy to me.

Another quick question, i heard that Java Moss needs a bit of flow, and my tank does not have that, well, not on the gravel as I am only using a Hang On Filter. I am thinkning of adding a small power head but will it affect my tetras as they do not like high flow?

Fishin Pole

for the driftwood with the moss attached, you could let it sit in a bucket for a few days, without any light source..........I would think that it wouldnt affect the moss too drastically........you can pinch it under a rock or a piece of driftwood and it will take hold in a week or two........

I'm not sure on the money conversion for Malayasia, but for what you get and how fast it grows, and the purpose it serves, i think its money well spent............

I have the Java Moss in 4 of my tanks, and it wont be affected by water flow at all........My one tetra tank, has very little movement (Yes, tetras like minimal current) and the moss has the bottom all but covered...........Hope this helps you out.....Good Luck!

Angel079

You can just get a rock you like and tie it down with any normal yarn you use for sowing needs too (I pref using black cause once submerged you don't see it in the moss)
I donno what the conversion is, so I can't tell ya if its expensive or not compared to here.
No it doesn't need no flow, yu can use it in filterless tanks or like in my shrimp farms I only have sponge filters so no flow there neither and its expoded so i'm doing something right there

fabby10

Thanks a lot for the inputs, it really does give me hope in having Java Moss in my tank! hehe!

Will take all the advice into account. I think I will just get pack of Java Moss and attach it myself to a rock.

After the meds have been removed (from Ich outbreak, will start my so called Java Moss project).

Many thanks and have a great holiday ahead! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

rsheets

I bought my moss off ebay. It was only about $5. I just stuck it to my DW with a tack for about 2 weeks. It is growing very well, even in my new, very unbalanced, tank.