Java moss=annoyance

[saffikeagan]

So I had java moss in both my tanks, but it's just annoying me so much that I've already pulled it out of one of the tanks. Hopefully y'all can help me.

So the ball of it I bought was mostly dark brown with some really light green bits. All of the bits seem to be just that: bits. They get everywhere in the tank and make vacuuming the tank annoying to say the least!

Did I just by some really bad moss clippings that were dead/not growing? It isn't attaching itself to anything much less looking nice.

I'd yank it out of my primary tank too except that my kuhlis have made it home.

 

[plecoperson]

It does sound like the moss was just in bad shape when you got it. It usually kinda sticks together and stays green.

The best thing in my experience is to attach it in a thin layer to driftwood and wait. If it's wadded up it just continues to die within and that's when you get your "bits."

 

[JohnPaul]

The first time I ever ordered java moss (it was from a place online), it arrived about 80-90% brown with just a little green. I thought that was maybe how it was supposed to be, so put it in my tank. It never really took off, died a lot, left lots of clutter...was a disaster.

Then about a year later I got some java moss from someone at a local aquarium club. It was (*gasp)...ALL GREEN! And it stayed green, it grew, it didn't turn brown, my shrimps loved it...etc.

The moral of the story: java moss being brown is not normal--no more than a fish gasping for breath and swimming on its side is "normal." Anything brown is dead (or almost dead) and won't come back. The best you can do is rip out all of it, remove all the brown stuff and pitch it, and see if you have enough of a clump of green left to be able to give yourself a chance to make it work.

 

[saffikeagan]

ah...thanks. just what I needed to know

 

[saffikeagan]

Okay, so I pulled out all the java moss in my main tank and sorted out the nicely green stuff from all the brown. I ended up with 2 nice long ones, and 4 bits that were at least .5 green. LOL. That's it.

My kuhlis are not too terribly happy about loosing their home; however, my betta who has the beginnings of finrot will probably appreciate not having all that dead stuff in there.