Java Moss - What Is Happening To The Plant

[sylros]

I've got a 10gal tank with sand substrate, bogwood, a morimo moss ball and java moss. The rest are fake. The java moss was bought about 2 weeks ago, but a few days ago it started to have fuzz on it. What could it be...is it just dirt...the plant is growing, so is the fuzz. Here is a picture, can you help as it keeps getting worse? Is it my filter...topfin 10 filter...it came with the kit. The morimo moss ball is now getting this stuff too...this was after I cleaned the tank including the moss ball which I kinda washed. Perhaps it's ammonium related, the tank was in need of a big water change over the thanksgiving weekend but we had guests so I couldn't do as much...The light stays on all day from 8a.m. until midnight or after dinner...I realize now that might be too long...will correct. If it's just dirt, how do I clean it? Do I even need to worry?

 

[Fish are AWE]

Hmmmmm, i think they are tannin (sorry if im wrong) but i had them on plants and mopani wood. My fish didnt bother to touch them, but after a good washing they will be gone. I had the exact same prob. hope this helps

 

[ian]

Looks like detritus to me...moss is a great attractor of waste. This is why moss does well in tanks with shrimps as they will clean the moss. You cn also vac the moss with a gravel vac, but only do it very lightly as you could dislodge the moss.

 

[minnnt]

Yeah just looks like general muck to me. My weeping moss is the same

Tannins are something that are leeched into the water from bog wood. Although you will see the results of them (brown water) you won't actually be able to see them if that makes sense?

 

[festo]

Get yourself some 10mm airline and "VAC" gently,
this should do it without disturbing the moss too much.

 

[sylros]

Looks like detritus to me...moss is a great attractor of waste. This is why moss does well in tanks with shrimps as they will clean the moss. You cn also vac the moss with a gravel vac, but only do it very lightly as you could dislodge the moss.

I was hoping that it was just detritus because there are new shoots and it got worse when I cleaned the tank. Didn't think of using the air tubing for cleaning it but the syphon that I use is way too much for it. The last thing I want are strands all over as this thing grows rather quickly. It's currently positioned on top of the driftwood held there with a fish line. It's already becoming unruly but the LFS suggested to cut little slits in the drift wood and gently insert the moss. Somehow this gives it a totally different look.

No one's eating it not even the shrimp...I would have thought they'd hand around there...but I guess not. Thanks for all your replies!

 

[TheRedDarren]

and definitely lower your lighting to around 8 hours!

 

[sylros]

Get yourself some 10mm airline and "VAC" gently,
this should do it without disturbing the moss too much.

I attempted to do this as I had some leftover airline tubing but this was like flossing...very tedious and didn't really work. The situation had gotten much worse so there was so much of it and wasn't coming off so easily. What I did was get a new Penguin filter...wow what a difference in the tank, I could see all the detritus being sucked up...so all in all, something happened with my old filter. Even if I cleaned it, the suction is not ideal. My LFS confirmed that the TopFin 10 was the worst and that the Penguin will make a huge difference. Can't wait to see the difference.

A good idea though since this tubing was also useful to get into tight areas, so I've kept it to use it again. Thanks for the advice.

 

[sylros]

I've got a 10gal tank with sand substrate, bogwood, a morimo moss ball and java moss. The rest are fake. The java moss was bought about 2 weeks ago, but a few days ago it started to have fuzz on it. What could it be...is it just dirt...the plant is growing, so is the fuzz. Here is a picture, can you help as it keeps getting worse? Is it my filter...topfin 10 filter...it came with the kit. The morimo moss ball is now getting this stuff too...this was after I cleaned the tank including the moss ball which I kinda washed. Perhaps it's ammonium related, the tank was in need of a big water change over the thanksgiving weekend but we had guests so I couldn't do as much...The light stays on all day from 8a.m. until midnight or after dinner...I realize now that might be too long...will correct. If it's just dirt, how do I clean it? Do I even need to worry?

The morimo ball is now OK, the fish and the oto catfish were having a field day..so it's all clean now. lol

 

[sylros]

Boy, so much has happened since last month...the java moss is doing much better. I changed the lighting to a compact full spectrum florescent bulb and with the new filter, there is a lot less junk on it. But it's taken all this time to clear it though. I think that it was just a question of the plant doing it's job in collecting stuff in the water, but there was just too much of it. It looks a thousand times better now several weeks later, it has grown much and the fry, actually, all the fish including the shrimps, rummage through it to get a snack. There are now at least 10 fry swimming about and Suzie (female #1) is about to have her 3rd batch. Female #2 has just had her first batch a couple days ago - 17 in all.