# Paging Gomer... Nano moss...?



## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

Tony,

I found that really old post over at All Wet Thumbs where you had discovered a teeny-tiny moss that grew very nicely for you. You dubbed it "nano moss." 

What ever happened to it? Are you still growing the stuff? It was really cute - would have been perfect for your "pico cube." 

Just curious. 

-Naomi


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Hey Naomi. I accidently killed it off a while ago when I was trying to "rapidly" propogate it. It seams that it didn't like the elevated nutrient levels


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

Really?!?! That's *just* the kind of vegetation I'm looking for :lol: !I'm always trying to set something up in which I can keep both shrimp and plants (ferts always seem to kill off my shrimp).

You haven't been able to find it, again? You picked it up out of some reservoir or something, right?

Oh well... That's tough  . It's rare that I really get overly-excited about new plants in the hobby, but that nano moss was sweet. Maybe you'll be lucky and find it again  .

Thanks.

-Naomi


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## cS (Jan 27, 2004)

I have another moss whose appearance and growth habit look _incredibly similar_ to Gomer's "nano moss". If the both of you would like to try it out, then please PM me your address.

I have sent a sample to an expert for identification. If it turns out to be _Amblystegium serpens_, then it's the same as Gomer's. Keep your fingers crossed.


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

Before I say "yes" only to kill it like I did your beautiful Blyxa japonica, I need to know if I have a chance at keeping it alive. It would probably go in my 2.5-gallon heaterless, filterless non-fertilized tank with natural gravel (#3, I think) and one Anubias 'petit' on a piece of driftwood. The lighting is an 8W normal-output fluorescent, which appears to be nearing the end of its life. I can probably add a little bit of nutrient if the moss needs some, but I'd like to keep it at a minimum so that I can keep shrimp alive. More than likely, I'll be adding quite a bit of calcium carbonate and possibly epsom salt for magnesium. Oh - and the pH is always around 8.0, sometimes as high as 8.6 and occasionally getting down to about 7.6. The GH/KH can swing from <1 dH to about 6. 

Does it attach to driftwood like Java moss can? 

cS, did you send it to Loh Kwek Leong to have it analyzed by Dr. Tan? You're really too kind. If you don't have that much, I can wait. I'm never in any hurry  .

-Naomi


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## amber2461 (Jun 15, 2004)

Hey cS

Wanna send it over the border?? :wink: :wink:


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

Was Tony's moss correctly identifed as: Amblystegium serpens

The following thread is interesting:

Specific detail of this moss in thread

Start of thread

Andrew Cribb


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## cS (Jan 27, 2004)

Naomi. Yes, the moss was sent to Kwek Leong so that he can have Professor Tan properly ID it.

Is 8W over a 2.5G tank considered low, moderate, or high light? All my tanks are high light. Nonetheless, I recall that Gomer has grown this species successfully in both low and high light setups. Perhaps he can chime in the discussion. In the mean time, why not just give it a try? What I will send is the emersed form because I no longer have it submersed in my tank. As far as whether or not it will attach to driftwood, *NO* moss I have grown has _*ever*_ attached to the substrate on which it is tied to. Not even java moss. :? Don't ask me why. I have not a clue.



pineapple said:


> Was Tony's moss correctly identifed as: Amblystegium serpens


It is according to www.killies.com , but Gomer may be able to confirm it for us.


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

From what I have perused and read recently, so-called Taiwan moss does attach to slate, glass, and possibly substrate.

Some of Oliver Knott's aqua creations use moss low down between the rocks and the substrate.

Andrew Cribb


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I trust the killies ID. The same professer that ID's mine is IDing yours as well.

As for moss on a substrate......unless you have wood chips for a substrate, then I wouldn't count on it


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## cS (Jan 27, 2004)

As a general rule of thumb, upward-bound moss (i.e. Erect moss) do not attach to anything whereas downward-bound moss (i.e. Taiwan & Christmas) and bound-in-every-direction moss (i.e. Java) do. As for myself, I can't get any of these to attach but others have. :?

As far as moss on the substrate, Oliver Knott uses (lava?) rocks to attach these moss to. Like Gomer says, it can be quite difficult to maintain a non-anchored moss foreground.  One exception is the _Fontinalis antipyretica var gigantea_ (giant willow moss). This bugger is HUGE relative to the other mosses that we're more familiar with. You can plant it directly in the substrate where individual fronds will grow into mini palm trees -- making for a short-stature distinctive carpeting plant. This moss takes on an open form so water can freely flow through the understory which prevents the trapping of detritus so common among the other mosses.

It's a shame that AquaticQuotient has been down for the past several days so I can't access its gallery. Otherwise, I can show you some really neat tanks with moss as the foreground. In the mean time, you can feast on Roland Seah's shrimp tank.


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I do have one un identified moss that might actually "root" to subsrates. It roots in a strange way ...almost like how a normal plant would root--only at the base and grows "stemish"

(ignore the algae....I am battling it)


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

Dang it, Gomer :x !!! How do you get so lucky?!?! Is this another one you picked up from a local puddle? That's just too cool!!! 

That's it - from now on, I'm gonna inspect every little puddle I happen to come across so I can find cool stuff, too... :badgrin: 

-Naomi


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## pineapple (May 4, 2004)

The Fontinalis sp. I've seen in local NY State lakes attaches at the base to rocks etc in both fast moving and slow moving (littoral lake) environments. I was toying with the idea of picking some up but the last time I drove there, we received the back end of one of the from-Florida-with-love hurricanes and the car conked out in the car park miles from no-where and the time was spent getting back to the city....

Thanks for the notes, cS. Yes, I noticed Aquaticquotient has been down. That board is a bit unstable at times. If they would switch from using a SQL server backend to mySQL they might have better luck.

Andrew Cribb


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Hey Naomi,

Check your PM's around 5pm PST (have a meeting to go to now).


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## gnome (Jan 27, 2004)

Gomer said:


> Hey Naomi,
> 
> Check your PM's around 5pm PST (have a meeting to go to now).


Hmmm... I don't know, Tony. Who's to say if I'll be back from *puddle-hopping* by 5??? :badgrin: =P~

:lol:

Just givin' ya grief... :lol:

-Naomi


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## cS (Jan 27, 2004)

Gomer, that is one incredibly beautiful thingamajig. :shock: :shock: :shock: It reminds me of wheat fields or rice paddies.

Pineapple, do get the NY specimen in your tank while Florida is being nice. 8-[


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Come to AGA...I'll see about bringing some of it!!!


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