Growing moss in a cup/jar of water?

[drewsuf82]

Ok so I've been trying this now for the last two weeks or so and I am trying to process of elimination this:

So with the following:
8oz cup
1 drop excel
1 drop flourish
de-chlorinated water
south facing window sill
Changing Water every 5 days
Xmas moss / Java Moss (both in separate cups)
----------------------
Trial One
Dead / Dead

Trial Two
Changed water every 2 Days
Dead / Dead

Trial Three
Changing Water Daily
Dead / Dead (took an extra day)

Trial Four
--------------
Here's where I'm stuck, I know you can do this and I see people do this but I am just missing something here. So I'm thinking next trial don't add excel and going back to an every other day water change.....Should I change anything else outside of it (you know windowsill, flourish, water params, cup size etc...), I would really like to start getting moss going that is too small to thread on but healthy and I don't want to throw it away (I actually feel bad about killing this moss when I was trying to save it and grow it )

[Dany08fa]

I have never tried this....... But Im sure youll have better success starting with a larger portion of moss and a large jar of water. 8oz cup is too small imo

[mach_six]

Have you monitored the temp in teh cup? I tried this once in a glass bottle that is about 16oz and it received direct sun at least more than 7 hours and got warmer than what Java moss would grow at. Might be something to consider if you try it again. I used a strand and it also failed. I was using old tank water as the only nutrient source and too much direct sun had algae over taking it.

[GeToChKn]

Excel is providing a carbon source, flourish is providing trace minerals but you have no ammonia/nitrogen source for food. The Excel is going to make the moss want to grow faster and need more nutrients and nitrogen food but without anything nitrogen source, that could be effecting it.

I don't see any reason to keep changing the water. Water only needs to be changed when there is a buildup of ammonia/nitrite, etc and you're not providing a source for that in the first place.

[@marko@]

just grow it emersed. much easer.

[krandall@rdrcpa.biz]

I agree. When I want to maintain mosses outside an aquascape I put them in a flattish plastic container with a clear lid. I put a layer of Fluval substrate or ADA Aquasoil on the bottom, them saturate it with water. Then I just lay the moss on top of the wet soil and close it up. I keep it in a bright room, with INDIRECT sun light. It is never in direct sunlight. I have found that mosses do very well this way, and reproduce readily.

I have not had good luck growing even "easy" mosses on the windowsill. I think they get too warm in the sun light.

[drewsuf82]

Originally Posted by krandall@rdrcpa.biz

I agree. When I want to maintain mosses outside an aquascape I put them in a flattish plastic container with a clear lid. I put a layer of Fluval substrate or ADA Aquasoil on the bottom, them saturate it with water. Then I just lay the moss on top of the wet soil and close it up. I keep it in a bright room, with INDIRECT sun light. It is never in direct sunlight. I have found that mosses do very well this way, and reproduce readily.

I have not had good luck growing even "easy" mosses on the windowsill. I think they get too warm in the sun light.

Interesting can I grow them stacked plastic container on plastic container? I've never tried emersed how saturated does the substrate have to be and how easily does it adapt to submersed life when you want to put it into the tank?

[acitydweller]

Mosses do fine without excel and ferts. just need clean water and solid full spectrum lighting. when doing these tests, have one control group .

[Dugsul808]

my moss strives when theres cooler temperatures, i dont dose any ferts, do water changes once every week and make sure it get indirect light, direct sunlight will kill your moss. this has happen to me couple time when i left them in the direct sunlight. hope this will help you

[drewsuf82]

Thanks for the tips everyone so my tank upkeep is tomorrow night and now I'm thinking that the Xmas moss that I pull out I will let sit in a cup next to the window not in direct sunlight.

Also would it be better if I put it in with some water from the tank that has been in an active planted tank that way I don't have to add any excel or nutrients or would that be asking for an algae fest ?

[@marko@]

if you are doing it emersed, doesnt matter where you get the water from. the content of the water is negligible compared to the content of the miracle grow/topsoil/aquasoil.

if you are going submersed, id add tap water without any additives. moss requires very little nutrients, and by using tap water, you will likely have fewer algal spores.