# Mini Fissidens and Xmas moss turned brown



## ravensgate (May 24, 2012)

So about two months ago I did a big trim on my tank, HOWEVER, I only trimmed my Xmas moss and Java moss (not pictured). Promptly thereafter my Xmas moss and mini fissidens started to look like crap. Could have been a timely coincidence of course. This is a shrimp only tank, no fertilizers, no CO2. Been up for almost a year and the moss was doing great and growing then all of the sudden turned brown like this. I've read that too much light can cause mini fiss to look like this so I started keeping my light turned off more, no luck. Also, my nitrates used to be higher because I fed a lot of powdered food, I cut that back as well so that could have something to do with it. I have also read when Mini fissidens gets too dense this can happen. I've been trying to figure this out on my own but just not sure.

I want to pull all the mini fissidens out and grow that on SS but still am curious why my Xmas moss that was going nuts and beautiful green turned so ugly after it was trimmed. Pics of current status. Just curious of cause or cure (as long as it's not fertilizer or CO2)


----------



## jcmv4792 (Jul 15, 2015)

I know it's an old post, but any updates on this? I'm interested in what the problem might have been.


----------



## Bucephalandra (Oct 10, 2015)

If you experienced both species moss browning and dissipating, it can be attributed to a few things;

Temperature was not within species' parameters.
Water parameters off. Whether this be pH or other chemicals/compounds present, it should be tested for stasis.
Bacterial/Protista/Fungal pathogens, that may have spread through the plant due to being stressed (thus, prone to infection). 


Both of these species are pretty adaptable to a variety of water conditions, I have Java, Plagiochila, Fontinalis, and Fissidens growing in a very alkaline tank at 8.0pH+, another ~7.4pH, and in a <7.0pH tank (which seems to be the worst tank for Fissidens, it faded away), all around 74F-76F degrees. It is doing absolute best in a low light shrimp tank that gets frequent tap water changes, and has wood. The more acidic tank in which Fissidens faded, and other mosses do not perform well in, lacks wood and leaves. Other tanks harboring and allowing these species to thrive all have wood and/or leaves. Though, I have grown java by the pound in a simple gravel tank with minimal light.


----------

