# How to get moss to grow better



## Guest (Aug 9, 2005)

I got some moss from black jungle as part of a kit and I was wondering if there are any suggestions on how to get the moss to grow better. At the moment it kinda seems to just be sitting on top of the soil and not growing to well.

Also, what is the really bright green moss that everyone has as opposed to the duller dark green moss i have? Where can i get some?


----------



## Guest (Aug 9, 2005)

You have tropical moss. The bright breen stuff i see commonly is pillow moss. 

I think alot of people have trouble because they do not have enough light on the tanks for moss. The moss sits at the bottom of the tank generally and most light is lost down there, especially with the vertical setups that seem to be popular. My moss grows like weeds i have 3 types in my tank and do not have trouble with any of them. Try placing pieces in different micro climates and see where it grows best.


----------



## Guest (Aug 9, 2005)

I had no luck with bj moss it was a dark green color when i received it then it turned yellow and brown I also have sheet moss in my tank and that grows fine and it is a bright green color I think that bj moss is not that healthy my sheet moss even started to spread on my grapevine branches I bought them both at the same time at a reptile show in new york also moss doesnt grow quickly it takes a long time to spread out
I have tek lights for my tank 4- 4 feet T5 bulbs 6500k & 3000k
ultra sonic humidifier Air-o-Swiss
misting system Promist
dendro bedding w/ gravel drainage


----------



## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

I just recently posted a topic about moss at http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8993

that black jungle moss grows pretty fast but it will take it awhile to establish and really start to spread usually, so just be paitent....it will come. Avoid using hard water or getting calcium supplement dust on your moss whenever possible though. calcium is very bad for most moss.

Im pretty sure that bright green moss your talking about isnt the black jungle moss nor is it the t and c tropical pillow moss....i have some that looks very similar to what i've seen in many nice vivs online, but it came with an orchid i bought...i got lucky  so its either that kind of moss (whatever it is) or probably a regular pillow moss or maybe one of the mosses used with bonsai trees (spore packets u can buy online)?


----------



## David Becher (Feb 10, 2010)

Well, just an idea, if you have a very humid tank, you could try riccia which is a liverwort, it grows really fast and is bright green but you need to keep it wet and have high lighting. Also Selaginella can have a nice bright green color.


----------



## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

Id be willing to bet his moss is dead by now...5 year old thread lol


----------



## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

GRIMM said:


> Id be willing to bet his moss is dead by now...5 year old thread lol


Funny and you`re probably right.
I `ve never been able to keep moss alive for more than a few months.

John


----------



## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Enlightened Rogue said:


> Funny and you`re probably right.
> I `ve never been able to keep moss alive for more than a few months.
> 
> John


I think a lot of people under light their moss. Usually I need to be in the area of 2 watts per gallon for most standard sized tanks for my moss to do well. It will survive for a long time under lit but slowly declines then just fades away. Also I would revise my 5yo post here and say that bj tropical moss seems to like it pretty wet, fairly bright light, does best when planted in large pieces instead of broken up into tiny patches and would probably do well if grown over a layer of sphagnum moss (as many mosses will)


----------



## josh_r (Feb 4, 2005)

I have noticed with several vivs i have set up in the past that I got better moss growth with good air circulation, strong lighting and most importantly, a more natural substrate like a loamy clay based soil or a granite or limestone based soil. I really think that peat gets too acidic for most mosses to grow as well as too anaerobic. I have noticed that most mosses in nature dont like such acidic conditions. I also read this in a book on mosses I found somewheres. Most mosses like a more neutral soil, some even liking it slightly more alkaline. Sure there are mosses that like more acidic substrates as well, but I believe what is more readily available in the hobby will do better on a more neutral soil. Try setting up a 10 gal. viv with peat on one side, clay based soil in the middle, and a granite or limestone based soil on the other, put a small amount of moss on each soil type and see what grows better. Through my personal experience, it always grows better on the clay based or granite/limestone based soils.

Josh


----------



## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I have moss growing in all 12 of my vivs. I probably have a half dozen species along with some liverworts. Based on where it thrives, the key is strong lighting and moisture. All my vivs have running water features and the moss does best near the water. The substrate doesn't seem to matter. I have it growing on fern panel, cork bark, clay background, and even on the leaves of bromeliads.


----------

