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Best Mosses and Emergent Plants - Low tech

Nubias

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Joined
2 Jul 2018
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145
Location
Melbourne, Australia
As the title stats looking for suggestions on the best low tech mosses and emergent plants. Something that looks as natural as possible on gold vine and on stone work. I currently have spikey moss in one tank that does look good and is a relatively good grower however it sometimes looks unnatural or out of place depending on placement. Specifically opinions on the following or other options welcome;

Christmas moss
Weeping moss
Fissidens
Taiwan moss
Flame moss

Thinking weeping moss on rock work like the Green Aqua 60p? And something to tie to goldvine along branches or nearer the surface

Also plants for emergent growth? Pinnatifida always looks good, Rotala species? Amazon swords? Ludwigia species? Thanks all suggestions welcome, what have you had the best experience with?

For a 45cm cube scape for reference, other species probably along these lines

Java fern narrow or trident
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Other crypts
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Anubias
 
Hi all,
Christmas moss, Weeping moss, Fissidens
You ideally <"want one that attaches fairly well">, I'm not the best person to ask, because I don't regularly trim my moss and it always ends up as a mixed, non-attached, submerged mass. If you don't mind waiting for it to grow Fissidens would be a good choice.
Also plants for emergent growth?
Hygrophila corymbosa, is a bit easier than H. pinnatifida, but it also likes to grow emergent. Anubias barteri will grow up and out of the water (both below).

lid_up_off_zpsf18595e8-jpg.jpg


I really like <"Heteranthera zosterifolia">, but it might be a bit big.
Cryptocoryne Balansae
Also probably eventually a bit big for a 45cm cube.

cheers Darrel
 
Fissidens would be a good choice.

Indeed a small slow and low growing, attaches easily to rock and wood but there for it doesn't get out of control and doesn't need much attention. :)

In the end i believe about all mosses will attach, but also grow in wild bushes if left unattended.. Erect growing leaf mosses look fairly neet at first in still managable size. At one point it needs a lot of attention and proper manicuring. And this can be a pain in the neck and a lot of work with a small spring siccors snipping off small pieces that fly all over the place.

Taxiphyllum Peackock is such a very good and attractive and fast growing low tec moss with a like little ferns like structure, in the beginning. Hard to keep in that shape once it takes off it requires a lot of trimming.

Here you see a few months worth growing on wood in a low tech.
dsc_0324-jpg.jpg

Pulling it, will not work, it doesn't attach like a plant and it's leaves hook firmly together, you will likely pull all out and need to start from scractch again.
Delicatly working with sciccors is the only way to get to keep it attractive and in controll.
 
Hi all,
Any suggestions for something like the cryptocoryne balansae?
Not off hand, Vallisneria spiralis will probably also get a bit big, Vallisneria nana might be OK, but I don't have any experience with it.

Sagittaria subulata
might do?

A lot of Cryptocoryne species are smaller, but they tend to have wider leaves, Cryptocoryne usteriana has narrow leaves, but it also a big plant.

Juncus repens
or Cyperus helferi have narrow leaves, but I think they are both a bit more demanding in their requirements than your other plants.

cheers Darrel
 
Cryptocoryne spiralis?.. :) There a i think 3 variations. C. spiralis spiralis, C. spiralis caudigera/shola C. Retrospiralis.

Narrow leaf crypts definitively smaller than the C. balansae, but possibly a bit more demanding and depending on this or that parameters maybe not the best choice for a low tech. Personaly i failed 2 times with growing the caudigera/shola in my low tech. Dunno what the issue was it just didn't grow melt away and vanished, at lleast didn't see it reappear could be still hidden among the others to shy to show itself. Also not always easy to obtain depends on the var..

The shola is more resambling Valis but also the hardest to get..
 
I've had success with pond marginals such as dwarf umbrella palm and japanese sweet flag.
My hygrophila has grown emergent too but I'm not sure which variety is sorry
 
Hi all,
japanese sweet flag
We have some older threads where people have used these (Acorus sp.) in emersed situations, this is from former member @hydrophyte's <"South American Riparium"> thread.

If people are interested in plants that you can grow emersed @hydrophyte's (Devin) threads offer a <"wealth of information">.

1-vi-10-tank-i-m-jpg.jpg
dwarf umbrella palm
The emergent Cyperus species are really good if you have room.

This is from @Iain Sutherland's gorgeous <"Splash Tetra paludarium">

c7a2375feabe7e59ada28a48bb7876a8.jpg


cheers Darrel
 
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