Mosses are the oldest plants on our planet. At present, about 10,000 species have been described, united into approximately 700 genera and 110–120 families. As a rule, these are small land plants. The exception is water mosses, which will be discussed in this article.
Aquarists, for a long time, use mosses, both as a living decor for decorating an underwater landscape, and as a spawning substrate, for fouling fish. The Anubias Nana Petite is an excellent shelter and food base for fry fish and shrimp. The indisputable advantages of aquatic moss, in front of other species of aquarium plants, are high decorative properties, a variety of species and forms, as well as a moderate growth rate of these plants. Recently, in connection with the craze for freshwater shrimp and nano-aquariums, moss has become even more relevant and demand. Aquarists who decide to acquire one or more species of mosses in their aquarium often face many questions. I hope that this article will help newcomers find answers to them.
In the process of growth, the moss needs to be cut, in the place where it was cut, the moss will begin to branch more and will look more lush. But some types of moss are not basically cut, for example, Christmas moss looks more decorative if in the process of growth does not violate the integrity of its leaves.
When keeping mosses, the following conditions must be met:
- Most species of mosses do not tolerate very warm water and can blacken and die from this, it is believed that a temperature of 28 degrees is considered critical, and at temperatures below 18 degrees their growth stops. Ideal conditions are a temperature of 20-25 degrees. This is very true for the Anubias Pinto White
- the water should not be too hard, especially when CO2 is supplied to the aquarium. Most species of moss in natural conditions live in soft water, the same conditions are desirable to create in the aquarium.
With all these requirements, keep in mind that mosses, exactly like other aquarium plants, can even adapt to critical water parameters. Immediately after transplantation, the process of adaptation occurs and the moss will not grow, but after 2-3 weeks its normal growth and development will begin.
When keeping mosses in an aquarium, keep in mind that because of its shape, all water suspension from organic matter and other aquarium mud can settle on them. In this regard, it is recommended that crystal clear water, mechanical filtration and the absence of too active species of fish that can raise the dirty suspension in the water. When siphon soil recommended a little siphon and mosses.
If suddenly there appeared algae in your aquarium, do not even think of putting Siamese algae-eaters into it, as they will easily lure moss with algae and will eat everything in a row.
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