[JennaH]

so i went to do a drastic trim on the java moss on some of my driftwood because it was starting to look like a big bush. while trimming, i noticed that there are big clumps of blackish brown mushy stuff underneath what looked like very healthy moss. is this dead moss or algae? it is nowhere else in the tank and not on some other java moss that is newer/still growing

btw i took this picture after i cut it out

 

[FrostyNYC]

Really hard to tell. If you pull the brown clump apart, does it look like dead moss? Or does is it much thinner, finer fibers? I do see SOME dead moss and what looks like a dead leaf in there.

 

[sollie7]

snip all the brown parts off
if it was algae then it would come off when you swished it in water

 

[JennaH]

hmm.. i can pull it off and there is actually healthy moss under it. it's kind of rubbery and doesn't tear apart easily