carpet plants / ground cover

[Mr Burns]

alrighty...i'm not functioning too well on four hours of sleep, but here's what i've got:

the picture below illustrates my idea for this track. the top photo shows an intersection of the track and how i would have the silicone (the red shaded area) covered by strips of nylon screen. i figure the track i will make will be between .5" - 1" wide, and not very tall. therefore, the strips of nylon will be cut just slightly more narrow than the width of the silicone. i'll attach one end of the screen using a bead of silicone, allow it to dry for an hour, then pull the wire taught, temporarily hold it in place with a clamp or wire tie, then glue the other end. as the side view illustrates, i figure if i keep this low and taught, i won't have any problems with the loaches getting in there even though they aren't' really big diggers...they'll toss a couple pieces of gravel here and there but nothing like a cichlid might do.

the only hesitation i have with java moss is that iv seen it in many aquariums and it looked like nasty jumbled seaweed. was this just how those particular tanks were set up, or is there any way to "groom" this plant into a more pleasing appearance? it will be placed in a medium current area of the tank..iv heard that's important with this plant...

any suggestions on xmas or mini moss?

 

[Mr Burns]

bump

 

[TankGirl]

I gotcha! I think this plan will be fine with the loaches. I don't know for sure, but I think you can trim the java moss for the desired effect.

 

[BrianNY]

Well here comes my 2 cents . I'm using Java moss in both my tanks and I haven't tied it to anything. I've wrapped it around some pieces of driftwood and clay pots. The clown loaches don't bother it at all. It does grow like crazy, but I just keep pulling pieces off. FWIW

 

[Mr Burns]

i figure i should get a pair of good stainless steel scissors to cut this stuff back... do i have to use a net to pull out the stuff i cut?

what factors affect the color, and is there a way to get it to a lighter green as opposed to the dark/olive green?

 

[BrianNY]

I just pull it off. It's more like a big wad of cotton than a plant. No loose filaments floating around if that's what you mean.

As for color, I would call it dark green but not olive. More like the color of a christmas tree.

 

[TankGirl]

I would imagine that lower light situations would cause it to be a lighter green - Brian, do you have it in your newer higher light tank or in a low light one?

 

[Mr Burns]

will mini moss and christmas moss grow under similar conditions as java moss? i would really like to go with the mini moss if possible/available because i find that much more visually attractive.

 

[BrianNY]

Well Tank Girl, I've 120 watts on the 55 gal, and 330 on the 125 gal. The Java moss is in the 55. This tank has been running much longer so IMO all the plants are looking better in this tank. Right now I'm getting real good at growing algae in the 125.

 

[Mr Burns]

after seeing this picture, i'm 100% set on the christmas moss (aka taiwan moss...not sure of the scientific name.)
absolutely beautiful!

arizona aquatic gardens had this to say about xmas moss: "Simple to grow. Similar to Java Moss, except this grows 300% easier, and grows pine tree frawn-like branches. Great for Rocks or Driftwood." -http://www.azgardens.com/new_limited_plants.php

any idea in what why they mean it grows 300% easier?

 

[Fruitbat]

That is a beautiful picture, Mr. Burns. Let me caution you though that it is obviously a very high-light tank as evidenced by the very red colors on the other plants. The only way that deep red plants like that will thrive is in very high light. Not to discourage you, however. The Christmas Moss is beautiful and will grow under lower-light conditions quite well...though it will probably take some time before it can cover your tank anything like the picture you posted.

 

[MantisX]

Thats some sweet moss. It almost looks like Riccia in some places. Is this stuff seasonal? I wouldnt mind trying some out on my driftwood.

 

[TankGirl]

There is some discussion of this on the Krib. It is in Baensch's as Fontinalis antipyretica, and apparently it is much like java moss, but apparently prefers cooler water. I think it is more commonly seen in the US as willow moss. I would give it a try, as it sinks and since you have loaches it will need to be tied as you describe doing, but the tying won't be such a chore. It can be "draped" as well over your driftwood. It is lovely, and if I had room in my tank for the fish to swim I might consider some!

 

[Mr Burns]

i read that water temperature cannot exceed 82*F (originally listed as 28*Cent.) mine is set at 78* (+/- 1*) so this shouldn't be a problem. i think will have good success with this plant, and i am hopeful because i have some big plans for it. thanks everybody for your help! it's funny how i started out fairly set on marsilea, and now i'm set on xmas moss....

fruitbat: i may be able to increase my lighting to 3.2 wpg, but initially i will have to stick with 1.6 as money is limited. i really don't think there is going to be a need for the 3.2 wpg as this is going to be the only live plant in the tank, so there is no other competition. i keep the lights on the tank on anywhere from 10-14 hpd as my schedule allows. are there any suggestions for helping this plant along? i was hoping to keep the fish out of the new tank for awhile, at least long enough for the moss to establish itself in the zone. would i be able to start growing the plant now in solitary in a ten gallon tank for a while, then divide it up when my new tank is completed? my plan is to have the right 1/4 of the tank wall and floor covered by the moss...the tank dimensions are 55x16x16in.

 

[TankGirl]

I think you should go ahead and plant it with the fish, as the fish are good for the plant (fertilizer) and the plant is good for the fish (O2). If this is the only plant and you don't intend to deal with CO2 and all that, increasing your lighting would mean also having to deal with algae issues, so I think your plan is a good one, and definitely worth a try. A lot of people apparently grow this in lower light situations.

 

[Mr Burns]

in six years of keeping an aquarium, i've not once had a problem with algae. i would actually hope that some grows because i plan on getting a couple otocinclus affinis and i'm sure my 13" pleco would enjoy a bit of the real deal.

is there a certain level of wpg that algae might become an issue? well, maybe not an issue, as that sounds negative, but would start to thrive...

 

[TankGirl]

I think if you keep it under 2wpg you will not have much of a problem. What wattage have you had in the aquarium(s) so far?

Any algae is an issue, IMO, because it is so very hard to get rid of once it sets in (can you tell I have battled this problem? 8O ). Keep free nutrients in the water low and not too much light and it should not be an issue.

 

[Fruitbat]

Mr. Burns...

Personally I much prefer a low- to middle-light aquarium (as you can see from my signature below). My favorite plants are ferns and Cryptocoryne species and most of them do very well with lower light levels. I think that moss will do very well in the tank you have....just don't expect it to grow like a weed and cover the entire tank bottom for a while!

 

[Mr Burns]

i'm a patient person. i will enjoy watching it grow...

what's more important - watts per gallon or hours the lights are on? is there a 'more important'?

would you suggest any supplementation?

 

[Allivymar]

wpg is definitely more important, and color range of the bulbs is prob almost as important.