# Has anyone tried planting dried sphagnum moss?



## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

I would test a bit in a small beaker or glass, or even a "test" aquarium before putting any into your main aquarium.

This way you can observe the results of submergence without putting your ecosystem at risk whatsoever. Then if it survives, you can move onto stage 2.

I am currently seeing whether a Polytrichum sp. will survive fully submerged in a beaker of water.

I have some Sphagnum moss that I bought from a DIY/garden centre store which was moist... i.,e, not completely dried out (I use it for my bonsai).
I might try some submerged to see what happens for curiosity.
Whilst mosses do distribute by spore, I think (someone correct me if I'm wrong), that all aquatic mosses are thought to lack spore capsules, and do *not* disperse this way.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

cake fan said:


> I was reading that dried sphagnum moss carries spores and if/when planted in aquaria it releases these spores = new plant life. This is as long as it's natural sphagnum and not colored/sprayed that is.
> 
> A lfs has some dried sphagnum moss for reptiles that is natural NOT colored and I'm considering trying this.
> 
> Does anyone see any problems with trying this? Has anyone else tried this with or without success?



Where did you read that? Sphagnum moss is a BOG plant as far as I know and will not grow submerged. The peat moss I use to start my tanks is ground sphagnum moss and it sure doesn't grow anything in the tank.


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## cake fan (Mar 31, 2005)

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Plants/mosses.html
Elie had asked about sphagnum moss. "just wonderning
- - has anyone ever tried to grow sphagnum
moss underwater? seems like it would make a nice 
aquarium plant"

I reply. I haven't tried to grow spahgnum moss
submersed. Emersed, it should do great. According to
the "Savage Garden" (carnivorous plant book), you can
even get it to start by using the dried sphagnum - not
the shreaded stuff, the whole dried moss fiber. The
spores are dormant then under proper conditions it
will grow again. Certainly avoid the decorative
sphagnum - it has dye in it.

A lot of people use the natural dried sphagnum fibers
in the substrate for their aquarium plants. 
If you have some living sphagnum, give it a try.

*********
It's not 100% that it would grow and that's why I was further posting the question, I should have found a better explanation :icon_redf or just posted that to start with.

Do you suppose a test i.e. fish bowl would suffice and would you need a heater if it were next to a window?


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

cake fan said:


> Do you suppose a test i.e. fish bowl would suffice and would you need a heater if it were next to a window?


Sphagnum moss does not come from a tropical environment, and as such tollerates relatively low temperatures. If anything, it'd probably survive better in waters cooler than our tropical tanks.
I'd test it in water at room temp first, then if it does well, try it in heated waters.

FYI, I have my Cladophora aegagropila balls, Vesicularia dubyana and Polytrichum sp. in different containers on a windowsill that gets direct sun.


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## cake fan (Mar 31, 2005)

Hmmm now you have me wondering, do you think that goldfish would eat it? We have a goldfish tank that so far has a couple of plastic plants (somewhat realistic :icon_roll ), I should look up what plants they won't eat and they are housed in colder water.

**FYI, I have my Cladophora aegagropila balls, Vesicularia dubyana and Polytrichum sp. in different containers on a windowsill that gets direct sun**

And how are they doing?


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## aquaphish (Dec 20, 2002)

cake fan said:


> I was reading that dried sphagnum moss carries spores and if/when planted in aquaria it releases these spores = new plant life. This is as long as it's natural sphagnum and not colored/sprayed that is.
> 
> A lfs has some dried sphagnum moss for reptiles that is natural NOT colored and I'm considering trying this.
> 
> Does anyone see any problems with trying this? Has anyone else tried this with or without success?


Just try it and then give info on the results!!!


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

cake fan said:


> And how are they doing?


The balls are doing what they've always done (wherever they've been)..... sit there, ever so slowly growing!
The Vesicularia dubyana is growing well, but slowly. (It's kind of a "reserve" of moss once I decide on where to use it!).
The Polytrichum is so far alright (been almost a week now) and pearls when the sun is out.


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## cake fan (Mar 31, 2005)

Impressive Stu  what are the size of the containers you're using and how often do you do water changed/size or the change?


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## rtraher (May 7, 2005)

Hi, I've grown sphagnum moss for a few years for some work I do with a species of alpine frog. Sphagnum is an alpine species which experiences very cold (snow) during winters and may experience warm days during summer. Only the top couple centimetres of the plant is alive (basically where it's green). I have never got it growing when is has been fully dehydrated (that does not mean it can't be done though?). It can only be submersed for short periods (when it rains or the bogs are flooding) and it will die if it is continually submerged.

HTH
Russel


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## shalu (Jan 16, 2003)

Well, several months ago, I put a small piece of LIVE sphagnum moss in my tank. Most of the original piece quickly yellowed/died, then it did send out a few small thin fronds. It is still in the tank, but does not grow well and does not look attractive at all underwater. Tank temp is mid 70, no CO2. Weeping moss grows quite well in the tank.


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## cake fan (Mar 31, 2005)

rtraher
I wonder if it was used as partially floating/submerges on i.e. wood it it would survive? Sounds like you're job is very interesting  

shalu
Too bad because I find it an attractive moss when not submerged :icon_frow and was hoping it would stay pretty & alive. I haven't seen any weeping moss here and that's why I was looking for alternative (other than java moss) mosses. Where in your tank do you have it? I'm curious why it hasn't all but died off.


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## Stu (Feb 16, 2004)

cake fan said:


> Impressive Stu  what are the size of the containers you're using and how often do you do water changed/size or the change?


Cladophora aegagropila > 2 litre glass jar (with optional airtight lid).
Vesicularia dubyana > 100ml borosilicate beaker
Polytrichum sp. > 50ml borosilicate beaker

I usually do 100% water changes daily on the beakers to replenish nutrients, as it's such a small amount of water... done in 2 seconds!

The jar I change as and when..... usually when it's gone cloudy due to immense bacterial bloom after too much ammonia addition.









Thanks for the info Russel. I guess a lot of wetland terrestrial plants will do ok fully submerged, but only for limited time..... the same as some supposed "aquatic" plants bought at lfs that are really not aquatic.... they can survive as much as 6 months usually.


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