# HELP ME! Actually, help my Fissidens! :)



## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Sorry to ask such a silly question.....I'm embarrassed!

I have a ton of Fissidens in my cube. I thought that it would really take off, but it hasn't. I am getting new, bright green growth on it, so at least it is growing. But the rest of the plant looks kind of greenish-brown and ugly. My snails and shrimp keep the leaves and stems clean for sure, but it looks kind of "BLAH"; not really good or bad looking......just kind of "there."

Any clues how to make it look more appealing to the eye? I can't really find much online about it. I would greatly appreciate any help I could get!! Everything else in the tank is doing very well, BTW.

Thank you!
Don


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## Nevermore (Mar 26, 2007)

I just got some Fissidens which I will be attaching to driftwood. I couldn't find much on growing it either so I'm interested as well in hearing from someone that has a lot of experience with it. Is your cube getting CO2?


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Yeah....plenty of CO2, light, and ferts. I know it doesn't grow quickly, but some people have some gorgeous Fissidens, and mine look average. I would like to know how to keep it nice and green.

COME ON PEOPLE!! NEVERMORE AND I JUST NEED SOME POINTERS!!! help us please!


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Cooler temps are key to growing healthy moss. Keep the temp at 75 degrees or cooler. I don't even heat my tanks. It saves me tons on my electric bill and the fish are perfectly fine.


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## LindaC (Nov 7, 2005)

Yes, cool temps are very important when it comes to mosses/frissidens. I've had a few different mosses in both of my tanks and couldn't understand for the life of me why it wouldn't grow well, always turned brown and died while all of my other plants were doing fine! Then I realized that my water temperatures were too high, but by then it was too late.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Hmm....I thought that 76F would be fine for mosses. At the urging of Aaron and you, Linda, I will take the temp down to about 74F then. Will that be cool enough?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Yes, I think you'll find that it will. Do you keep any sensitive fish like discus?


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## MrSanders (Mar 5, 2006)

I have a good amount of Fissidens growing in a discus tank that holds a steady 82 degrees.... no don't get me worng here im not going against what the others are saying.... but my moss grows well, looks beautiful and is very healthy. It does take on a darker color at higher temps IME, however it is possible to grow healthy moss at those temptures.

They do take on more vibrant colors, and generally grow out more lush at the lower temps, but a high temp probably isnt all to blame if your moss is doing very poorly


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## Nevermore (Mar 26, 2007)

My water temp is at 78. I'm not sure if I should lower it or not. I am really surprised it's growing well at 82 because it's a general rule-of-thumb that mosses do better at lower temperatures. Do you have Fissidens fontanus, Mr Sanders?

Donald, could you possibly post a picture of your Fissidens? What is "blah"?


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## stepheus (Jun 13, 2006)

i have mini fissidens growing at temps 73F ~ 78F. the temp fluctuates daily. they are growing so well that they are growing new frowns away from original places that i left them. i think what donald needs is just lower temps since the others are well met. good luck


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Ahh....sorry people.....I've been re-doing the DIY lighting on the 40 gallon cube. Haven't had a chance to sit down till now. 

I will post pics this weekend (Sunday-ish) of my 40 cube.....with the "blah" Fissidens. Nevermore, if you want to see what it looks like right now, go to my "40 gallon cube" thread in "Aquascaping." I think that it is on the third page.......you'll see it's tied to a pagoda stone. I have regular Fissidens on another pagoda stone......

"Blah" generally means bright green new growth on the tips, greenish-brown for the rest of it. Not bright green and perfect looking like Aaron had.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

I thought of something else. I actually place my Fissidens underneath plants sometimes. Is yours in direct 'sunlight' so to speak? After you told me your tank specs it clicked that it might actually be too much light.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Yeah, it really is right now. I'm hoping that now that the aquascaping is "done" for now, that the stem plants will grow and provide some shade for it. I may end up moving the pagoda stone that it is tied to under some of the driftwood.....

But even the driftwood has tons of Fissidens (mini) tied on it. I did lessen some of the light tonight, so maybe that will help some. GAH!!!


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## MrSanders (Mar 5, 2006)

Nevermore - 

I don't know the exact species of what im growing... it was simply sold to me from aquaticmagic as "Fissidens sp." none the less it does very well in my tank.


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Mr. Sanders--

If you say that high temps probably aren't all to blame for my Fissidens looking like a friggin' zombie, what do you suggest I do to improve the appearance of it, or grow better? You can't just comment on how nice your Fissidens looks compare to mine, and then not say anything else! 

Well, I guess you COULD, but you SHOULDN'T! HAA! Any pointers?


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## Nevermore (Mar 26, 2007)

Donald- I guess your Fissidens is new? Your 40 Gallon Cube Aquascape is dated April 10th. I wonder if you just need to give the moss more time. It's promising that there is bright green new growth even if the rest is greenish brown, I would think. :-k


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## DonaldmBoyer (Aug 18, 2005)

Ummmm......no. 

I bought it back in early Feb......I knew it took a while to grow, but enough time has passed by now that it should have at least perked up a bit....

I did lower the temp. yesterday in the cube, and took out some lighting (believe me.....THAT was an unexpected and arduous task). We'll give a few more weeks now.

I just don't know what else to do. The Taiwan moss in there is doing great, so is everything else. I give it plenty of CO2 and ferts; I even re-directed the one of the outflow "penis looking-things" D)
to hit the glass at an angle that was cause some better current around it to keep it clean from debris. I guess my thinking was that Fissidens is found in and along banks of streams?

BAH! I say. BAH!


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