Is Java Moss evil?

[DarkCobra]

I've heard that Java Moss can break off into little particles, which then attach to and grow on your substrate, other plants, intake tubes, etc. Sounds kind of like algae!

How bad is it, really? Is there something you should do, or not do, to keep it under control?

[enigmatic]

Mine seems fine. Trying to get it to grow on some of my driftwood but not having much joy.

I've had a few bits break off and move around the tank but doesn't cause a problem. Usually comes out as part of a water change.

[esarkipato]

Oh it's all fine and good, untill you want to get rid of it! I'm pretty sure that once it's in a tank, it's there to stay in one way shape or form. I'd love to hear a counter example, though!

[eds]

I pulled it out of my 30 and 55 - tho I keep it in my 3 for the Endlers.

Every once in a while I'll find a strand floating about.
And I think once or twice I found a couple of strands in my ludwiga repens.
Might have developed into a bad infestation if I hadn't noticed it or removed it when I saw it.
But it has been no big deal.
And I am definitely not anal about my tank maintenance.
A weekly light surface vacuum of the bases of the plants removes it with any other detritus.

So, while I'd agree that it may well be in my tank for a while, it is an extremely minor presence.

(I got rid of it because when I was growing it, it tended to invade nearby plants.
And I didn't like the way it caught waste.
I TOLD you I was not anal about keeping my tanks clean!)

[TheOtherGeoff]

Originally Posted by esarkipato

Oh it's all fine and good, untill you want to get rid of it! I'm pretty sure that once it's in a tank, it's there to stay in one way shape or form. I'd love to hear a counter example, though!

Enter me!!!

i totally killed off every last little piece of it in my 55. i have never been happier. it took soo long and was such a pain to do but i did it. i had the intent ojn growing it around a piece of driftwood i had but for somereason it didnt feel like staying on the wood and moved the aquarium substrate. from here it got crazy. grew over al the rocks, started going up the wood, covered and killed the hair grass. blocked off the top part of my lotus bulb, started attaching to flat rocks i had, started growing on other pieces of wood and then ot started to grow on the filer intake and on parts of the bio foam things. O_o

To rid myself of this ugly green mess wasnt easy. first step was removing as much as i could and selling it off. ended up with a couple of swords back and i was happy. no i still had it on wood, ocks, substarte plants. plants were dead so in the trash they went. rocks, i scraped it all off the rocks and made sure they stayed darn clean. wood. wood got scrubbed and power washed to clean it off. the substarte was tricky cause it was really attached to the rock. so i cut back on the lighting some, not to much as to attempt to keep whatever else that was alive, alive. so gravel vac after gravel vac i did. each time pushed the mos deeper into the substarte and turning rocks over so it wouldnt get light and would be smashed i guess you can say. after many months and lack of nutrients in my tank ( hehe ) the moss is gone. for good. never to return.

it looks pretty if you can do it right though. haha

[DarkCobra]

Thanks for the replies!

I guess the old axiom applies: "Your results may vary."

I have my first sample of java moss coming in a shipment of plants, for now I'm going to (hopefully) restrict it to my 5 gallon breeder/quarantine tank and see how it behaves for me.

What about other mosses - christmas, weeping, erect, etc? Any horror stories with those, or are they easier to control?

[Georgiadawgger]

My experience mirrors Geoff's. I used to have a great looking java-log and gave it regular haircuts. I would take it out of the tank...fill a bucket up with water and start taking the pruning shears to it to hack it up. The only isssue is, even with a good rinsing there will still be bits and pieces of it flying all over the place once it was put back into the tank. I didn't care if it got in the filter, but it did get tangled up in my substrate, other plants, etc. It grew along my substrate and I'd have to pull up a big ol wad of java-substrate...pick the fluorite off and then chunk the moss in the trash.

Similar experience with riccia too.

[esarkipato]

Originally Posted by DarkCobra

What about other mosses - christmas, weeping, erect, etc? Any horror stories with those, or are they easier to control?

Only other moss I've tried is Tiawaan Moss (sp?), and to my "horror" I can't get it to grow

[mrbelvedere]

I put some in my 37 High months ago. To this day I will find a loose strand occasionally. Not a problem though, it grows pretty slow, very easy to control, just hard to permanently get rid of.

[Buck]

Yup...you never rid yourself of it once its in a tank but I will never again "not" have moss in a tank.

Its just screams natural ! There isnt a body of water in the world I doubt that does not have some type of mossy plant in it.

[johnnotis]

Similar experience to others here. I got a small piece with some other plants a long time ago. I was pretty thrilled to get a free plant, and attached the little bit to a piece of driftwood. That little bit has grown into a beast. It's not hard to control, as a little bit takes a long time to double in size, but it would take a lot of work to completely eradicate.

Once a suitable mass has built up, it can definitely take over the tank, though. An extremely ignored 39g went from diverse planted tank to a carpet of java moss mixed with some very stunted dwarf sag in about 6 months. Even choked out a big bunch of rotala indica.

[BSS]

Can you say M. tenerum (aka Pellia) ? A similar beast. I had it for quite a while and really liked it. It then got algae infested so I wanted to go another direction. I still find little bits/pieces in my tank, but I wouldn't call is a major PITA.

I, too, just readded a couple of mosses. Personally, I've not had much previous luck getting them to grow. Will have to see how this batch goes!

[[RK]]

Originally Posted by Buck

Yup...you never rid yourself of it once its in a tank but I will never again "not" have moss in a tank.

Its just screams natural ! There isnt a body of water in the world I doubt that does not have some type of mossy plant in it.

Totally agree I tied it to my pieces of driftwood, and it was by far the best thing i've done with my tank. I love it. Makes it look sooo natural!

[Buck]

Maintenance of moss can be a pita but I think the rewards are there in looks. When any type of moss is healthy and clean, it is beautiful , but if its a struggling plant, it can look ratty and very unattractive more so then other plants that are not quite at their best.

Originally Posted by BSS

I've not had much previous luck getting them to grow.

Its weird how some cant kill a plant and some cant even grow it.You say you still have pellia leftovers that keep popping up and I cant even get it not to melt on me. Thats a plant I tried 3 times... I gave up. But moss I have no problems with...

[BSS]

Originally Posted by Buck

Its weird how some cant kill a plant and some cant even grow it.You say you still have pellia leftovers that keep popping up and I cant even get it not to melt on me. Thats a plant I tried 3 times... I gave up. But moss I have no problems with...

Gotta love this hobby! The number of variables and variants helps keep my interest. Frustrating at times, sure. But, never quite dull!