# Moss, moss everywhere!



## Izawwlgood (Jun 24, 2011)

Fairly new to this, so I wager there's already a thread up but I couldn't find it.
Sorry for any potential repost.

I have a 29-gallon freshwater tank with a host of plants, a handful of inverts (ghost and cherry shrimp, and some snails of various sorts), two khuli loaches, two butterfly loaches, and a host of guppies that are breeding like mad. I've been giving the guppies away to friends to help reduce the load, but wager all that nitrogenous waste they pump out isn't helping my problem.

Which is moss. Filamentous moss is breaking off my two moss pads and getting on EVERYTHING. It's more or less choked off one of my plants, and once a week or so I have to yank it out of all the nooks and crannies. 

I'd really like a natural solution to this, and was told to invest in a catfish of some sort. Any idea's for a smallish, non-aggressive herbivore that just loves eating filamentous moss but will leave most other plants alone? If this continues, I"ll probably yank out the remaining moss to avoid dealing with this crap.

Thanks!


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## BJRuttenberg (Sep 25, 2005)

Nope...not gunna find a fish like that.

Also, most catfish will also eat your shrimp. Nom Nom Nom :axe:

(1) Do a BIG Trim and cut the moss down to its roots (where it's attached) <-- If you haven not been doing this regularly, this is also probably part of your problem. As the moss grows, the lower parts die b/c lack of light and become detached from whatever they were holding on to. Solution: regular maintenance.

(2) Take the moss out - try something new



Izawwlgood said:


> Fairly new to this, so I wager there's already a thread up but I couldn't find it.
> Sorry for any potential repost.
> 
> I have a 29-gallon freshwater tank with a host of plants, a handful of inverts (ghost and cherry shrimp, and some snails of various sorts), two khuli loaches, two butterfly loaches, and a host of guppies that are breeding like mad. I've been giving the guppies away to friends to help reduce the load, but wager all that nitrogenous waste they pump out isn't helping my problem.
> ...


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Are you sure your problem is moss, rather than filamentous algae? If it has little leaf-like structures, it is moss. If it is thread-like without any leaves, it is algae.


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## Izawwlgood (Jun 24, 2011)

HeyPK said:


> Are you sure your problem is moss, rather than filamentous algae? If it has little leaf-like structures, it is moss. If it is thread-like without any leaves, it is algae.


Well I laid down a moss ball, and as it grew it appeared filamentous. I've since move it and all growth from it appears filamentous. So it doesn't have any leaves, but unless I was sold an algae ball, the threads are from this moss ball.

I'll try cutting it back though. Is that the best method for preventing runaway growth or spreading?


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## ddavila06 (Jan 31, 2009)

you should post a pic if you can, would help to correctly id it to help you get rid of it!


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

One possibility is that the moss ball had a filamentous algae intertwined with it, and the filamentous algae grew out of the moss ball and spread everywhere. The other possibility is that the moss did revert to a filamentous form, although that does not usually happen. When moss spores germinate they produce an alga like form (called the protonema) that has to grow to a certain size before it starts producing the more complex and much larger leafy form.

Moss protonema starting to produce the leafy form









The leafy form becomes much larger than the protonema









I think the first hypothesis is the most likely---that a filamentous alga came along with the moss. Moss leafy forms are pretty stubborn about remaining in the leafy form.


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## Izawwlgood (Jun 24, 2011)

The stuff choking my tank is filamentous, but also appears to be growing out of/from the original ball of moss. Well, what's the best way of dealing with filamentous algae then? Just keep cutting it back?


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

I am not the person to answer this. I prefer to keep filamentous algae out of the aquarium. There are people who say they can manage it. Perhaps one of them will answer.


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## Izawwlgood (Jun 24, 2011)

So whats the best way to remove it? Just keep pulling it out?


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

This is a tough algae to kill. Excel doesn't touch it. The natural way is to get a ton of Amano shrimp - in a 29g you'd probably need 250 of them and they will eat it at a faster rate than it grows ridding your tank of the algae. Since it's difficult to even buy that many, if you could spare the buck, people usually go for option 2.

Steps:
1. Remove as much algae as possible and do a water change hopefully sucking out any loose strands you see.
2. Total 3-5 day blackout. Cover ENTIRE tank with thick black trash bag. Leave lights OFF. NO peaking. Turn off any CO2, leave on filtration. Don't feed anyone. This weakens the algae.
3. After black-out resume all regular acitvity, lights, ferts, CO2 or not, feeding, etc. Turn OFF pump and any additional water circulation for about 20 minutes to prepare for step 4. 
4. Spot dose with medicine dropper 3 ml of hydrogen peroxide, (from local store), per 10 gallons of tank water directly on any algae you see. You can do a partial water change afterward.
5. Repeat #4. each day as you try to treat any and all surfaces that are left with algae.
6. Repeat entire process algae is not gone.

You need to address the causes. If you brought some algae in with some plants then you are probably ok and once it's gone you'll be fine. OR - you may have too much light for your tank.


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## wicca27 (Oct 13, 2008)

sounds like hair algea to me. one of my moss balls got it then it spread and its hard to get rid of but regular water changes and clean filters help alot and pull as much out as you can. small amout of peroxide on it will kill it but have to be carfull to squirt it right on the algea cause some plants like hornwort hate it. as long as its only small amounts it will be fine with the fish and shrimp cause light turns it to oxygen thats y its kept in a dark brown bottle

i would also like to mention if not so done already your loaches are going to end up eating your shrimp and small snails if they are not moved they like inverts alot. i dont know a fish one that wont eat shrimp or at least baby shirmp. they make great fry food. just wanted to warn you befor you one day notice they were mia


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## Jeffww (May 25, 2010)

I think he's talking about a marimo ball..They are made of cladophora but generally they stay rather controlled. But I have heard cases of marimo balls spreading it everywhere.


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## Izawwlgood (Jun 24, 2011)

I've just been yanking the stuff out and replacing the filters a bit more regularly. The algae is almost entirely gone, so, that's neat. Occasionally it pops back in finer plants, but regular cleaning seems to do the trick. 
One of my moss pads was incredibly hairy, and it wasn't because of the moss. Clearing that thing down significantly improved the algae issue. 
Thanks for the advice!


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Moss balls are not "moss" but are a species of Cladophora algae. Clads are known to be nuisance hair algae that are hard to get rid of. 

Maybe your "moss balls" are just doing their reproducing thing.

Bill


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## stepheus (Jun 13, 2006)

Thread ought to be in general section rather than aquascape.

Just want to make a note, because I discovered lately that green thread algae will be eaten by Malayan shrimp very willingly. 

It's a rare shrimp to the rest of the world, except Malaysia but have anyone had a good experience in Amano shrimp with green thread algae? Because both types of shrimp have similar eating habits and size. I just haven't tried Amano shrimp on green thread algae.

Also I find cherry barbs and yellow barbs are effective by a good margin. Plus they aren't too eager to eat shrimps in the aquarium.


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## wicca27 (Oct 13, 2008)

i have discovered that my "moss ball" marimo ball was the cause of my algae problem. i ended up getting it in several tanks and on one of my sponge filter i now have about 3 clumps "balls" forming. the only tank i am still having probs with is the 55 and its will go away for a bit but come back hard and all start to form "clumps" right now im just pulling them off and tossing them. hehe maybe i should just let them grow and sell the moss balls later


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## EdCal (Jul 19, 2011)

nice to know that marimo balls are just a ball of nuisance hair algae.


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## dstrong (Feb 13, 2011)

I have several marimo balls and they have never been a problem. I even pulled 2 apart and accesorised some rocks and driftwood. I can't imagine the filiments on a true marimo ball growing longer than half an inch.


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