What is this plant!?

[7Enigma]

I was told this was java moss, but cannot tell if it is even a real plant. It looks and has the consistency of human hair (its just green). The fish have been causing all sorts of trouble by swimming in/near it, and pulling it apart, so it was all over my tank and getting stuck to my filter. I have since balled it up and ziptied it to a floating sponge to keep it away from the filter. Is this a real plant? And if so is it java moss? Thanks!

Oh and there does appear to be a very small java FERN in the bundle (its on the far right side half way down in the first picture). I have since separated this out and will see if it can grow (it does have a bit of root system on it).

I pulled out the tripod to try to get more steady shots of the "moss":


3 barbs picking at the "moss"

what I believe to be a small java fern stuck to my filter

a better shot of my "moss" (no its not pearling, these are just air bubbles that have been trapped by the filter )

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Looks like a ball of thread algae to me.. (The attraction by the barbs to it would sem to confirm this).perhaps a damaged marimo ball?

definately aquatic.

 

[Elmware]

It looks like hair algae to me. Did you buy this, or did it just form in your tank?

 

[7Enigma]

I bought it for 3$ at the LFS. But the kid working there said it was java moss, it was in the same tank as java fern. What does this stuff do, and is it beneficial to have in the tank? I kinda hoped it would float at the surface so I wouldn't need to keep it in place.

Should I get this out of the tank ASAP?!?

One interesting thing, I found a small stowaway, the size of a large grain of sand. A snail.

 

[sherry]

nah, it looks like java moss to me.. not my favorite but it will grow in the dark

stick it behind something and let your barbs eat it.

 

[Hara]

I have tons of java moss and I have never seen any of it look like that...some weird variant maybe?

 

[7Enigma]

sherry, at the ends its starting to come undone, and little whisps are floating around the tank. My big concern is that it gets up the filter and messes up the impeller. Is this possible, or am I being overly cautious.

I have it tied to a sponge floating at the surface, but I have the sponge free-floating. I think I'll tie the sponge to the corner of the tank AWAY from the filter. Hopefully it won't fall apart too much then.

Glad to hear its probably java moss, since I got a "free" java fern (if it grows). I used my gravel vac to bury the fern a little bit in the sand so it won't float around. I didn't bury it up to the leaves, I left a little bit of the root system above ground, since I read somewhere that the rhizomes or something needed to be above ground to feed on the nitrAte/ammonia. Hopefully I didn't just make that up.

 

[7Enigma]

Hara, it is so fine, it looks just like hair. There is no branching apparent, and it doesn't look like any pictures I can find on the net. I only care about 2 things:

1. It is actually alive

2. It won't harm my filter/fish/tank

I just don't want these little whispy things to start a hair algae farm all over the tank. I have 3 Oto's, 3 cory cats, and 13 barbs, so hopefully they will keep the outgrowth to a minimum.

 

[Hara]

http://www.fantasyreef.com/viewtopic.php?t=442

That is a somewhat decent pic of java moss.

It does make a mess and get into filtration, I am constantly cleaning it out of my AC.

 

[czcz]

Here is another pic where you can see strands of java moss. I think you have hair or thread algae in a ball, too :/ Could stick it in a container by a window, then pull tufts out to feed your barbs. If the baby java fern keeps sticking to the filter, you should attach it to a rock or driftwood, and it will probably grow up nice.

If the ball is not java moss, I think you should return it to the LFS, complain, and tactfully suggest they make it up to you with some java ferns

 

[7Enigma]

czcz, I definately do NOT have what is in that pic you linked too. There are no branching hairs coming off of the strands. I have bundled up as much as possible and have it floating in the opposite corner as the filter so it won't get separated too much. I just hope some of it didn't get into the filter, where it will grow and make a mess of things...

I took the baby java fern off of the filter and have "planted" it in the sand. I'm hoping it will grow, but my tiger barbs keep nipping at its long tendril like things (are these the rhizomes?). So I don't know how long either will last in the tank.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

If they are brown, they are the roots, also, Java Fern can grow without being planted, so you can put it in a breeder net or something to keep the barbs away from it, when it get's a bit bigger, then try tying it down.

 

[7Enigma]

Thanks for the advice. I just threw out my makeshift gravel bag (pantyhose with a ziptie ). I'll see if I can dig it out of the trash and wash it off and reuse it with the java fern.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Should work, Javafern doesn't require that much light, but then again, I think mine is just starting to show life after over 1 year of absolutely no positive growth.

 

[7Enigma]

Bah I was too lazy to dig through the trash. I just buried the other 2 roots that the tigers kept nipping at, and they seem to have ignored it for now. It's tiny, so who knows if it will grow or how fast (there is no ammonia in the water), so it will have to use the available nitrAte.

 

[Elmware]

Sounds like an interesting plant from what I have been reading doing a little googling.

http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant, Java Moss.htm

I'm wondering if a plant like that can help with the carpet algae problem that I've been having by competing for space, that is if it's available here in Western Canada. Would that work?

 

[7Enigma]

Certainly does sound interesting, though I'm sure now that is NOT what I have. Some of those pics kinda worry me, seems like it could easily cause problems in the tank if some of it gets where its not supposed to. Here's hoping my "hair algae or whatever it is" does not do the same thing. Fortunately it doesn't appear to have anything that would allow it to stick to surfaces, it kind of just moves with the currents...

 

[jcarlilesiu]

i have java moss, and it is the most intresting feature in my tank... plus you can't kill it... literally.

trimming is a pain because its hard to get it out, and next thing you know you have it growing somewhere you don't want it. i like a well scaped maintained tank

I dont' think what you have is java moss, and i would take it out

 

[dafrimpster]

I vote hair algae. Take it back to the LFS

 

[Japola44]

as far as java fern goes... I got one when i first set up my 55gal and knew nothing about aquatic plants. I planted it in the sand completly. Some of its roots are sticking out now, but of all my java fern plants its grown the most. Its leaves are 6" long where as my other ones i haven't burried are only half that size. Go figure?