# Christmas moss browning? :(



## jmsaltfish797 (Oct 27, 2012)

it could be the co2 booster causing this. moss is similar to algae, not the same but similar. it will cause most mosses and some other plants to melt and die. the booster acts as an algaecide temporarily, then breaks down into a plant friendly carbon when exposed to light. its most likely the culprit in your moss issue. depending on the size of your tank, DIY co2 might be the way to go instead.


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

Are you sure its browning, or yellow to white? With the other two colors I would then assume its the booster. For browning its usually an adapting issue. I dont know the reason but same moss usually does better on wood than a wall for some reason, ive had a lot of walls just go straight bad and I never found out the reason. You can try removing the booster to see if it helps. How much u dosing?


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

I'm dosing per recommended, and it is brownish, it wasn't like this when I had it just hanging there. If you want specifics, it's 1ML for 10Gal, I'm going to try what you recommend and stop my CO2 Booster, if it doesn't work I may need to redo it.


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

it wasn't like this when I had it just hanging there.



What do u mean by this? Like u werent dosing either two? Or...


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

I've always been dosing. When I first got it, I let it sit there for days in the tank, I've had it just sitting in the water, not between plastic meshes. Once I got the plastic meshes, it's turned brown.


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## HUNTER (Sep 4, 2012)

I had some browning on m moss when I dosed excel, not sure if it's the same as Co2 booster.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

> API CO2 Booster


Hi Raith,

+1 for jmsaltfish797's comment; I suspect the API CO2 Booster (Excel / glutaraldehyde). I have killed several varieties of moss by dosing glutaraldehyde.

Also, although Aqueon Plant Food has several micro nutrients, it is lacking in macro nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Here is the label information.



> Aquarium Plant Food 0-0-1
> Guaranteed Analysis
> Soluble Potash K2O..................................1%
> Calcium .................................................0.2%
> ...


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## Krispyplants (Apr 15, 2014)

some mosses/plants have to sometimes almost completely die out before its able to adapt to a spot. I do believe it's the API Co2 Booster. I think that you need good water flow for this because on my tanks that had sponge filters and had very little water flow, The booster turned all the plants in there brown. Maybe its because the tanks were a little small but still. Ever since then I don't use it no more and still have that almost full bottle. On the other hand, my 50 gallon showed little changes with that booster as I was waiting for my co2 regulator.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

I have a HOB filter, and it does splash onto the surface, if I do some water changes, do you guys think the moss is salvageable or just dump it and get new moss? Thanks for everyone's responses, I appreciate it.


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

Anyone know? :3


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

Moss is always salvageable, even dried up


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## Raith (Jun 27, 2014)

Thanks for the answer. Should I do more water changes to slowly get the chemicals out of the water, or is it okay to leave it in?


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## DennisSingh (Nov 8, 2004)

I don't know about the chemicals, but water changes always seem to help everything


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