# java moss problem



## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

I'm looking for advice/opinions on how to get rid of unwanted java moss in my tank. I was ignorant when I set up my tank two years ago and didn't know how to trim the moss properly. The trimmings travelled everywhere! They rooted. I have spent hours plucking out strands and clumps of the stuff ever since. I am fed up with the time it takes to keep it from smothering other plants. I remove as much as I can but within weeks it's back. I have a large piece of wood on which I had orginally tied the moss. It and java fern are quite entangled there. It grows through my anubias and through my other foreground plants. As I pull it out, the delicate foreground plants come out too. I hate facing the thought of a total tank tear-down and new substrate but....Curious to know if others have had this problem and what they did.


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## do-boy86 (Sep 3, 2013)

Why don't you explain the less ignorant way to trim java moss for, you know.... The less informed ones around here...


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

To properly 'trim' java moss is to rip them by hand with a hose that will readily suck the lose bits. 
As for your problem. Once they reach your carpet...you're pretty much done for. They're hardy, so its hard to rid of them.you have to restart. Getting them out by hand until they're completely gone is almost impossible, as you will always leave bits and pieces on the plant that its attached to. 

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## randylahey (Jun 25, 2013)

When I first started a planted tank, I got some christmas moss and attached to my driftwood piece. I would use scissors to cut it because I was worried about pulling it off. That was a bad idea as I got strands everywhere as well and it took forever to clean up. No matter how much of it I got out of there, miniscule strands would get caught and grow. It got so bad that I had to pull all my plants and hardcape out. I trimmed and cleaned every stem of plant, rock and piece of wood. I also thoroughly vacuumed the substrate and did a huge water change. After that , to trim the moss, I would just hand pull clumps of it off to almost nothing left. I would have a clump in hand and maybe one or two strands floating around, much easier to deal with.Some moss would stay attached and sure enough, it would grow right back. Now, every once in a while, a piece will break off and I can deal with it easily.

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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

Thanks for your comments everyone. Yes, do-boy86 you are supposed to tear it out (watching carefully) with a hose on siphon. Tricky business, that. I didn't know this for the first few months. Part of the reason I posted this is to have it warn those who think it "looks pretty" without knowing how ugly it can get. I hate to think of tearing down my tank what with it starting to look good (after some months of neglect) as well as the expense of new substrate and some new plants. However, your comments Randy and Adobe make me feel better about going for it. I was beginning to sense it was inevitable. Perhaps it's a great chance to improve my 'scape! Cup half-full, me. Still...Ack!


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

I never trim my java moss, they never seem to grow too much. I must be doing something wrong. LOL 
What do you do to make them grow so much?
If anything they got sucked into my filter, never noticed any that grew and tangled up with carpet.
Thanks for sharing how to trim java moss. Very useful info.
Hopefully my java moss will grow enough for me to trim them soon.


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

I suspect there are many kinds of moss sold as "java moss". Some seem to grow like stink others are more moderate. The kind I have grows extremely rapidly. About 2cm per week it seems. I would be pleased if I had a variety I didn't have to trim often! I doubt you're doing anything "wrong". My lighting is 4x t5HO (2 on for 12 hours, the other two join in for 6 hours) and I have a co2 cylinder going at 1.5 bubbles/second. If I wasn't so computer illiterate, I'd post a photo of the moss I have. The reason you have to be so careful trimming (actually, don't trim with scissors--pull it out) is because unlike every other plant, when trimmed, the moss sinks. If you notice, other plant snippings float. Then you easily remove with a net. The moss being dark green settles into your carpet plants making it hard to see. Even a 1/2cm piece will start growing without being attached to anything. It will grow in the water column. Then, when long enough it will encounter some surface (substrate, another plant, wood, rock etc) and attach itself like a burr on your clothes. If it gets into your substrate it will really get growing. It will create a network of itself all through and under your plants. When you pull that out, it breaks easily. The remnant left behind will get growing again. Gosh, this write-up is turning into the plot for an aquarium thriller movie. I think it would be useful to have a reliable ID on the kinds of mosses. I remember looking online way-back-when and the mosses all look so similar. I will work on posting a photo of my moss. Hope this helps.


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

This is me learning how you post a photo on a thread...






How do i know if that worked? I tried to follow the instructions in the sticky but I got bogged down using Picasa. If this doesn't work I'll try again later.


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

Okay, so there's a photo of my crazy java moss. I realize it's not terribly clear on details. I may have a better photo somewhere. I'll try later. Hopefully I can make Picasa work.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

greenfin said:


> This is me learning how you post a photo on a thread...
> View attachment 34378
> How do i know if that worked? I tried to follow the instructions in the sticky but I got bogged down using Picasa. If this doesn't work I'll try again later.


That looks exactly like the willow moss that I keep. Super resilient, grows like stink. When I reset my 30 gal I thought I had take every strand out. Somehow there must've been spores stuck on the rock and wood that I reused and 6 months later it's back and very bushy, exactly like in your pic.


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## do-boy86 (Sep 3, 2013)

Wow that moss looks great! And thanks for the tip! Had no idea. 

I guess I have a strand that grows very slow because 2 month old moss doesn't really show much growth at all. Some in a no-tech tank and more in a mid-tech (diy co2, flourish) the only trimming I've done is snipping off brown or dead bits from when I first set up tank and had no idea what I was doing.


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

Reckon said:


> That looks exactly like the willow moss that I keep. Super resilient, grows like stink. When I reset my 30 gal I thought I had take every strand out. Somehow there must've been spores stuck on the rock and wood that I reused and 6 months later it's back and very bushy, exactly like in your pic.


uh-oh. Willow moss, eh?
I will use new substrate when i rebuild and pick over my plants carefully. How do I make sure it's clear off the wood? Bake wood in oven? Set outside in sub-zero temps? Or is it impossible to kill? Do I get new wood pieces? I plan to tear down and rebuild quick because my fish will have to live in my big tote containers while I work.


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

do-boy86 said:


> Wow that moss looks great! And thanks for the tip! Had no idea.
> 
> I guess I have a strand that grows very slow because 2 month old moss doesn't really show much growth at all. Some in a no-tech tank and more in a mid-tech (diy co2, flourish) the only trimming I've done is snipping off brown or dead bits from when I first set up tank and had no idea what I was doing.


Lucky you! Mine must be different because I put some in my betta bowl once and within a couple of months was a huge snarly clump. Yeah, I remember taking that picture right before I trimmed it the first time. Trimmed and shaped so carefully with scissors...little did I know...mwah-ha-ha.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

greenfin said:


> uh-oh. Willow moss, eh?
> I will use new substrate when i rebuild and pick over my plants carefully. How do I make sure it's clear off the wood? Bake wood in oven? Set outside in sub-zero temps? Or is it impossible to kill? Do I get new wood pieces? I plan to tear down and rebuild quick because my fish will have to live in my big tote containers while I work.


Hm. That's what I suspect anyways. I'll post a pic when the lights are on. During the reset I scrubbed the wood with a toothbrush and dried it out for 2 weeks and the moss still came back. From what I heard from other people they've had java moss come back even with boiling then leaving the wood dry for months. I've given up a long time ago on eradicating all of it. On occasion I pull out the clumps I see. I don't mind the moss as much anymore, looks more natural with some of it in there


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## greenfin (Nov 4, 2013)

Okay! Thanks. That decides me on the wood. Ack, new wood too! I like the look of it too but every time I pull it out of the substrate it uproots my foreground plants. Growl. I'd like to see that pic to compare. 

I'm travelling to Vancouver soon and will be going fish shopping. Where do I find out who sells neat-looking wood pieces in lower mainland? I realize this is going off topic for this thread. I should start a new one for that.


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

I had the same problem. Don't worry, restarting is really fun. I dumped out all the ada branded soil from my tank to dry it out under the sun before (twice). The first time was due to the java moss, and the second time was just because I didn't like the scape haha. Glad you're doing it. 
As for the places to get those funky wood. I would hit up King Eds pet center on Kingsway. (Burnaby BC), they have really nice twisted rosewood. 
You could also check out island pets unlimited or call in first to see if they have any in stock at their Richmond or lougheed branch.
My friend keeps fissidens moss and they're really nice. He got them from aquariums west in downtown. Just a suggestion


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