# best moss for a wall?



## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

i have a noce clump of java moss in a tank now and was wondering if it will suffice for a mosswall in my nano cube. 

if not then whats the best to use.

thanks.


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

java will suffice, but you should consider the following;

- moss walls come out great depending on how well you grow your moss, not which moss you choose.

- most moss will project out a good 3" beyond the wall mesh, so a wall may not be a good idea for a nano.

- narrow top opening lighting may not get to the lower moss at enough of an angle to give those lower fronds light to grow.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Java Moss grows kinda scraggly. I prefer Christmas moss for that application myself.


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

I agree Java would not be among my top choices.

I know aquamoss.net endorses Xmas for walls,
but after growing Xmas side by side with Taiwan,
I have to admit Taiwan comes in thicker and a
bit more symmetrically than Xmas. Xmas might
be easier to redistribute in your mesh sandwich
as it seems less sticky than Taiwan, but if I had
to choose one moss for a typical wall, Taiwan wins.
as noted in my previous post, it all depends on how
the moss grows in YOUR TANK, so my feedback is
limited to what I have observed in my own tanks.

I'm currently experimenting with Weeping and Flame
moss as vertical wall subjects, so my opinion may
change yet again in the coming Months. I already
see that Flame moss may be a better choice for a
nano moss wall simply because it grows upward and
only project out about one inch from the wall. The
only downside with Flame is it grows painfully slow.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

what if i trim it to about .5 inch, wont it just keep growing in more dense?

or what about fissiden?


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## ringram (Jan 19, 2005)

I have a small Taiwan moss wall that I just started a couple weeks ago (first attempt at this). The actual moss wall is about 12" x 15-16". I have it in my 25g tall on the left side (the actual side, not the back wall). It's a side that won't be seen from the outside, as it sits next to a bookshelf. I'm starting to see a few small sprigs of moss coming through the holes. I can't comment on what it looks like all grown in, but hopefully will have good news in a few weeks, months or however long it takes...


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)

once moss becomes acclimated to your tank, having to trim it to keep it from growing out too far will become a nuisance since the growth rate at that point will be faster, and bits of moss are likely to scatter and become embedded into other plants and your gravel. this is why when I harvest moss for sale, I always pull it out in clumps and intact.

Fissiden still projects a good two inches from a wall, but it might be easier to control and keep from making a mess especially since it grows at a far slower rate and is not as sticky as other mosses. The only downside to a Fissiden wall is when the underlying moss gets shaded enough, it will brown, die, dissolve and the part of Fissiden it was rooting to the mesh will break off your wall and need to be reinserted back into the mesh.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I don't have experience with Taiwan moss, it might be better suited than Xmas.

You can cut the moss back to 0.5 inches, but then you will see a lot of your holding structure, and it will grow back just as scraggly. The density of the other mosses is what makes them superior to Java moss. So 1 inch depth of Xmas will cover most any plastic mesh, while 1in of Java still shows lots of plastic. Or something like that.

Fissidens is a bit more demanding than the other mosses we talk about here. If you have enough light, it should look splendid. But you will need more light to maintain it in a vertical structure than say Xmas or Java moss.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Lol, Spypet is the faster typer. I give up.


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## spypet (Sep 15, 2006)




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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

so from what i am seeing here its not really a good idea in my application.


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## jrs (Dec 25, 2005)

I haven't tried Taiwan moss for a wall yet but here is my xmas moss wall. It is one side of a 20g and this represents 3 months of growth in a 3wpg CO2 injected tank. It takes quite awhile for the growth to poke through the mesh but once through it grows quicker. For trimmings I just remove the entire wall and give it a haircut. Patience is an absolute must for these walls.


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