# Help starting a moss carpet?



## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

Hello everyone!

I've been working on adding more live plants to my 10 gal (currently housing a male betta and 2 cory cats) and wanted to know how to start a moss carpet. My tank has a gravel substrate and natural lighting. I found someone selling many different types of mosses (see list at bottom of post) and was wondering which of these would be the easiest / most low maintenance moss to get? I'm trying to avoid java moss because I don't like the way that it looks.

Thanks,
-Katie

1 Anchor Moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
2 Brazil moss - Vesicularia sp.
3 Cameroon moss - Plagiochilaceae sp.
4 Creeping moss - Vesicularia sp
5 China moss - Vesicularia sp
6 Christmass moss - Vesicularia montagnei
7 Erect moss - Vesicularia reticulata
8 Flame moss -Taxiphyllum sp. 
9 Flat moss - Drepanocladus sp.
10 Fox moss - Fissidens fox
11 Giant moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
12 Java moss - Taxiphyllum barbieri
13 mini Java moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
14 Mini Rosa - Jungermannia Pseudocyclop 
15 Moss sp. 610
16 Peacock moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
17 Phoenix moss - Fissidens fontanus
18 Singapore moss - Vesicularia dubyana
19 Spiky moss - Taxiphyllum sp.
20 Stringy moss - Leptodictyum riparium
21 Taiwan moss - Taxiphyllum alternans
22 mini Tajwan moss - Isopterygium sp.
23 Weeping moss - Vesicularia ferriei
24 Willow moss - Fontinalis antipyretica
25 Giant Willow moss - F. antiperytica var. Gigantea
26 Quell Willow moss - Fontinalis hypnoides
27 Woody moss - Climacium sp.
28 Lomariopsis lineata - (Subwassertang)
29 Pelia
30 Mini Pelia(2) - Riccardia chamedryfolia
31 Mini Pelia(1) - Riccardia graeffei


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

It's easier to lay it onto the substrate without being submerged and allow it to take hold for a month. Then after it's firmly attached, it can be flooded.

In general, most mosses are low maintenance so choose the one that you find most attractive. I find Taxiphyllum species look better for ground cover due to the softer shape and texture of the leaves. Coarse textures, like Christmas moss, tend to look best attached to rocks.


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## MountainPool (Jul 13, 2014)

Hi, fellow newbie here! 
Some sellers ship moss attached to stainless steel mesh. I've laid it on the gravel of my 25l and its spreading sideways nicely! More of an area rug than a carpet, but its getting there. I bought willow moss, and its doing well in my lowlight, no ferts. (It struggled in my grow out tank, which has highlight, though.) Its tending to travel sideways in a very pleasing way.


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## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

MountainPool said:


> Hi, fellow newbie here!
> Some sellers ship moss attached to stainless steel mesh. I've laid it on the gravel of my 25l and its spreading sideways nicely! More of an area rug than a carpet, but its getting there. I bought willow moss, and its doing well in my lowlight, no ferts. (It struggled in my grow out tank, which has highlight, though.) Its tending to travel sideways in a very pleasing way.


Great suggestion! Thank you very much! :thumbsup:


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## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

thanks everyone! 
I am looking for an effect similar to this with lots of short moss covering the bottom of my tank








I realize it will probably take a while to grow it out that much...


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

That appears to be Hemianthus callitrichoides carpet with Fissidens fontanus attached to rocks. Are you looking for the HC carpet to be substituted with a moss carpet?


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## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> That appears to be Hemianthus callitrichoides carpet with Fissidens fontanus attached to rocks. Are you looking for the HC carpet to be substituted with a moss carpet?


Ohhh ok ^^ Yes. if it's possible to get a similar effect with low maintenance moss then that's what I'm looking for. :3


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

Kt-Radi0 said:


> Ohhh ok ^^ Yes. if it's possible to get a similar effect with low maintenance moss then that's what I'm looking for. :3


Then you'd want:
1) lighter color
2) compact growth

Some possible choices:
1) Riccardia chamedryfolia (aka: coral moss, mini pelia)
2) weeping moss
3) anchor moss


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## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> Then you'd want:
> 1) lighter color
> 2) compact growth
> 
> ...


^_^ ok! Thank you for your help again!!


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

Ricca isn't a moss, it's a liverwort. This is important because unlike an actual moss, ricca won't attach to anything underwater. The other two mosses are quite nice, I'm a fan of them


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

Oh, it just occurred to me that there's one "moss" that could be used much more effectively than any of the mosses: marimo moss balls. It's technically a cladophora algae but it's a deep, bright green with very fine structure, almost like a felt carpet. It's readily available at pet chain stores (Petco, Petsmart, Walmart). You'd have to cut it up and lay it down to get it to carpet. Be warned that it's an incredibly slow grower.

Bump:


Kehy said:


> Ricca isn't a moss, it's a liverwort. This is important because unlike an actual moss, ricca won't attach to anything underwater. The other two mosses are quite nice, I'm a fan of them


This is not true! I have Riccardia chamedryfolia attached firmly to wood under water. It actually attaches pretty quickly, too.


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## Kehy (Feb 5, 2012)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> Oh, it just occurred to me that there's one "moss" that could be used much more effectively than any of the mosses: marimo moss balls. It's technically a cladophora algae but it's a deep, bright green with very fine structure, almost like a felt carpet. It's readily available at pet chain stores (Petco, Petsmart, Walmart). You'd have to cut it up and lay it down to get it to carpet. Be warned that it's an incredibly slow grower.


I don't suggest marimo algae. It spreads like algae onto all the things you don't want, and it's very hard to get out of a tank.


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## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

I like the look of marimo a lot but i think it'd be a bit too slow growing for me ): 

Also I really like the look of the coral moss as well, but I don't have a ton of light all the time so it'd be very slow growing as well... >_< 

Maybe I could just tie some to rocks or something >_<


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## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

Riccardia chamedryfolia doesn't need a lot of light but it grows faster with it. That's true for most plants. If you are patient, you can finely chop up Riccardia and lay it on the substrate in a dry-start. You'd only need to keep it moist and it will take hold in a couple of weeks. Wait a couple more months and it will grow into a thick carpet. Afterward, flood the tank. It's very easy but requires patience.


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## Kt-Radi0 (Aug 26, 2014)

Solcielo lawrencia said:


> Riccardia chamedryfolia doesn't need a lot of light but it grows faster with it. That's true for most plants. If you are patient, you can finely chop up Riccardia and lay it on the substrate in a dry-start. You'd only need to keep it moist and it will take hold in a couple of weeks. Wait a couple more months and it will grow into a thick carpet. Afterward, flood the tank. It's very easy but requires patience.


Really?  That's actually not nearly as bad as I had thought.. ^^ I think I'm going to stick with getting riccardia chamedryfolia and see how it works out for me! :thumbsup:


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## Jalopy (Aug 11, 2013)

Kehy said:


> Ricca isn't a moss, it's a liverwort. This is important because unlike an actual moss, ricca won't attach to anything underwater. The other two mosses are quite nice, I'm a fan of them


It will definitely attach. I attached some to a rock during my dry start.


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