# Emersed Moss



## MrSanders

anyone growing mosses emersed? I am getting a nice little collection of different species, and I would like to keep them all going for future use..... however I just dont currently have room in my scapes to house many different moss species, and I would also like to have "clean" containers where different species are going to mix togeather....

Anyway anyone growing moss emersed? whats the best way to ensure they get the nutrients they need? I am going to use small plastic food type containers that are clear with clear lids.... a few very small holes in the lid for air exchange... and was planning on a very thin layer of top soil covered by a thin cap of sand.... water it down slightlyand lay the moss on top of that.... adding water to keep just the very top of the sand covered.....

any better ways of going about it?


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## slickwillislim

I am growing erect moss in my emersed set up. It isnt growing that fast but it is growing. THe pics below are not very accurate. Right now my water level is about two thirds up the gravel. I am not sure how the moss gets nutrients I just figured it grew slow enough that the little it could get was enough. The rooted plants exploded in that tank. The moss has probably grown about 5x as much as whats there. Pretty algae free too since it pokes up off the gravel.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...mersed-culture/30777-my-6g-emersed-start.html


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## onemyndseye

This brings me to a question:

How well do mosses readapt to submerged life? Is the emersed form growth alot different from submerged growth?

Thanks,
-Justin
One Mynds Eye


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## DaFishMan

I'm also considering taking the plunge to try emmersed moss as I also have some samples kicking around. I'm very curious to see how you do.
Good Luck ! And post us on your progress.


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## MrSanders

Thanks for all the replies.... My basic Idea is to keep each different species in its one small tubberware type container... with just enough water to cover the top of the sand.... I figure there will be a slow leach of nutrients from the "substrate" which should be enough to get the moss by.

I am not trying this out to get lots of moss fast or anything like that. Just simply want a way to hang on to each different species I obtain while they arnt "in use" and keep the algae free, along with other moss sp. free also....

It will be intresting to see how it comes Out... and like Justin brought up, to see how well the moss adapts back to submerged life again.... I'll try to post some pics of the set up as they come alone..... Just dont have the time to get around to actually doing it right now.... maybe in the next few days


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## GreenMachine

I grow some emersed moss on stones pebbles, it is quite easy, you can do this very well with a tupperware container with a lid. Do a 50/50 tapwater/carbonate water mix, because moss prefer acidic environment. Top the water enough to cover to the top of the highest fronds and in a couple of weeks emersed fronds will send out of the water. Make sure it is cover to keep the humidity up. Thats it...emersed moss. Grows no faster than submersed but less of a hassle.


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## Cavan Allen

There's not really any trick to growing moss emersed. I've found, though, that it doesn't appreciate concentrated nutrient solution. A minimum of fertilization is all it takes.


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## epicfish

Hm. I found some moss in a garden and threw it in some water to see if it'd grow submersed. Kinda opposite of this thread, but I plan to see if it grows submersed first. If it does, I'll try to bring it back up emersed and see how it goes. =)


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## MrSanders

I have done that a few times also epicfish.... Some of the moss grew well under water, some did not grow at all.... In the end I didnt keep any because they were ugly  lol just long thin strands that never branched much.

Back on topic... thanks Cavan... I figured that I wouldnt need much as far as nutrients go.... but I wanted to make sure there were some there for the taking. I suppose another way to go about it would to be no substrate of any kind and just about a half inch of water from a well balanced planted tank.... with misting there after to keep it moist as water evaporated.

Oh well I already set up my little tubs with a thin substrate.... i think it should work nicely though they arnt getting much light because they are jammed behind my larger rubbermaid bins that hold more light hungry emersed plants. I think they will still do just fine though.... I will update when some new growth starts to show up.


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## DaFishMan

"Just simply want a way to hang on to each different species I obtain while they arnt "in use"

This is totally understandable. I want to see all my moss types what they look like as they grow out (in submersed form) to compare, as well as get more types. One problem.. 2 tanks and no room for more. Also not wanting the mosses to mix so can only grow out one type at a time. I can see where emmerse would be nice to keep moss samples separately in pots in an unused small tank. 

Looking forward to the new pics


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## MrSanders

> Looking forward to the new pics


 LoL... new pics... thats funny. Won't be any of those.... just like EVERYTHING else i have going on with aquatic plants.... the moss hasn't grown one bit!

Of course with this adventure I suppose I am lucky in the sense that is hasn't died or started to stunt and grow deformed..... blah... 

Yea for the most part all the moss I have started have just been hanging out... they arnt growing, they arn't dieing just looking the same as they did when they went in... which is acceptable i suppose, since I still have portions waiting for future use, that is if I can ever get anything to grow for me in my tanks again.....


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## ruki

I'm trying this with Taiwan/Willow moss.

It's in a room with a temperature around 20 degrees C with humidity around 55%. The container used is one of those plastic take-out containers used for soup at Asian restaurants. It's placed between 5 1/2 gallon tanks with one of those dual-tube Coralight T5 fixtures supplying light.

It started out immersed, but I haven't been replacing everything that evaporates, so I've been letting the tops become slowly emersed. Much stubbier and thicker than the immersed form. May have to put some sort of cover on it if it keeps drying out.


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## MrSanders

I would suggest a cover also  I think the emersed moss will be much more happy in a damp humid environment.


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## fish newb

ruki said:


> I'm trying this with Taiwan/Willow moss.
> 
> It's in a room with a temperature around 20 degrees C with humidity around 55%. The container used is one of those plastic take-out containers used for soup at Asian restaurants. It's placed between 5 1/2 gallon tanks with one of those dual-tube Coralight T5 fixtures supplying light.
> 
> It started out immersed, but I haven't been replacing everything that evaporates, so I've been letting the tops become slowly emersed. Much stubbier and thicker than the immersed form. May have to put some sort of cover on it if it keeps drying out.


This is a nice idea, I'm moss obsessed... I go collecting it everywhere and stuff, I'm pretty badeace: So it would be interesting to see how this goes.

Willow moss is one of the ONLY true aquatic mosses, So I don't think it will do very well emersed unless it has VERY high humidity. Tiwan should be fine on the other hand because it was orriginally a emersed moss.

Have fun with this but if you really want to store them I would suggest this. I found some 1g containors on Ebay:http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Gallon-New-Pl...ryZ20515QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Just put the moss in a tank and put them in these containors or something similer keep them in the water tho. and you will be golden. Rubbermade conatainors work as well.

- Andrew


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## snowy

I've got java moss growing around a pot full of water in the garden. The temp range of the water in this pot if from 12°C in winter up to 30°C in summer.

It started out several years ago as a few strands draped over the edge on the right, now it has spread considerably and the patches on the left got there by themselves.

Also growing in this pot is an Echinodorus sp. (cordifolius or grandiflorus?), java fern, an unidentified minature lilly and a few strands of Maidenia rubra that I put out as an experiment.


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## Six

^ very cool! ill have to try moss outside in a tub next year!


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## ruki

Wow, that moss is really interesting grown that way. I would have thought it would completely dry out if grown that far above the water.


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## fish newb

Hey I was just looking around online and saw this thread....killies.com :: View topic - Oriental Aquarium

Has pictures of moss being grown emersed, really interesting!

-Andrew


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## Fortuna Wolf

If you use a thick and porus clay pot the clay will wick the water up to the moss. 
That's a great setup, and I may have to try something like that too. 
You can, without too much trouble, grow in a shallow clay pot moss. 
Just drill some holes in the bottom of the pot, and set it in a larger wider pot, then add some large pebbles in the larger pot, and set the smaller pot on it, and then add some sand/soil mix. I usually top off with a light dusting of sand to keep things clean, and then add water to the bottom pot so that the water level comes up to the top pot and it can be wicked up. It'll stay permanently moist as long as you keep the reservoir full and you can grow any moss you want on it, and some ferns too. Its real fun to pet.


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## bijoon

OMG!! That link is amazing. Look at all the anubias!


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## dufus

Hmm, you guys realize that all our mosses are actually not aqautic to start with right?
(pelia,riccia, and marimo balls aren't mosses, though riccia makes a gorgeus emmersed foreground.)
I found that java moss loves emmersed growth, and likes a bit of humidity, but you don't need quite as much as most emmersed setups.
mine is in a screen top terrarium with a waterfall.


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