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Native British mosses for aquascaping?

Hi

There are many species of aquatic bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) that can be potentially used in our tanks. Actually a few species sold do occur in the UK as natives (Fissidens spp, Fontinalis antipyrectica, etc.) but it won't be that easy to adapt them to your tank conditions as the sold varieties probably come from warmer areas/populations and are adapted to your tank temperature.
I've tried quite a few species but with poor success (except in emersed setups in which most of acrocarpus species, the ones that look like stems, do well). I would love in the future a tank just for trying mosses but not the thing your family would like to see in the living room!

Jordi
 
Plagiomnium affine :)
http://www.bbsfieldguide.org.uk/sites/default/files/pdfs/mosses/Plagiomnium_affine.pdf
http://www.cisfbr.org.uk/Bryo/Cornish_Bryophytes_Plagiomnium_affine.html
Although in nature not yet found realy aqautic or not updated.. Who knows? It's quite common and can be found in many places and there are maybe not so many scuba diving bryologists. Dunno. The only issue would be determing the correct species there are many look a likes for novices even for experts there are several difficulties to identify it correctly when moss is still young.

It is all over sold as aquatic moss.
https://www.aquasabi.com/aquatic-plants/mosses/plagiomnium-cf-affine

In aqauland it''s called "pearl moss"
In Britisch "Many Fruited Thyme moss"
In the Netherlands it's name is (Literaly translated) "Bowe Star Moss" regarding our bryofreaks often found near/on creek banks. Seems to like it slighty more wet in our country.

Plagiomnium%20affine%20fertiel_8792_19805104.jpg


Actualy trying some other kind of (related to star moss) hair mosses in my tank now.. In there for 2 weeks now submersed and still not dead. :)
 
and there are maybe not so many scuba diving bryologists
Actually there are not many "terrestrial" bryologists either :). I still remember at the University when we did a learning trip with our bryology teacher. We managed to make a new record for an aquatic moss (I can't remember which species, at that time I did not pay too much attention to mosses). Maybe not in the UK but I think in some countries this group is really unexplored. Learn to identify mosses/liverworts and you will make a great contribution to biodiversity knowledge!

Sadly, this happens with plenty of groups... Taxonomy was a considered research field years ago but we are now loosing all our specialists. "Science" is not paying this anymore. A good friend of mine is specialist on Diplura (primitive cave/soil insects), now he is the better EU specialist... he is good but the fact is that the other two specialists died years ago. In some years no one will be able to identify a whole group of insects :( I may not be important, who knows, but every time I think about this it reminds me a Japanese Nobel prize that spent half of his life studying jellyfish bioluminescent communication. Sound boring and useless, isn't it? ... well, now these biopigments are used for detecting cancer.

Jordi
 
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As everyone else has said there are actully more than a few species of aquatic or semi aquatic moss and liverworts native to the uk that can grow in aquariums. The biggest limiting factor will be temperature as many will struggle with temps that are too high. In my experience it tends to be the case that our native species like cool, very well oxygenated water but several will do fine in an aquarium with temperatures up to about 25 degrees.
Some commonly available species such as Riccardia chamedryfolia, Riccia fluitans, Fontinalis anypretica and Fissidens fontanus actually grow wild in the uk but there are many more that you might succeed with. In my experience you'll have better luck restricting your search to clear, flowing streams rather than ponds and lakes but if you're anything like me you'll be grabbing a field microscope and plunging into every body of water you find in no time.
here's a list of a few aquatic species from the UK that will grow totally submerged. I can post more when i have time.

Fissidens crassipes
Brachythecium rivulare
Nardia compressa
Racomitrium aciculare
Jungermannia exsertifolia
Hygrohypnum luridum
Scapania undulata
Amblystegium riparium
Rhynchostegium riparioides


If you get out there and get knee deep in a few bodies of wild water you're sure to find a few. Best tactic is to wait for a decent dry period and then go have a rummage around the edge of rivers where normally the rocks would be sumberged. Also it can be difficult to exercise restraint but some of our aquatic bryophytes are critically endangered so best practice is to take only a very tiny portion from the wild and then grow it out yourself. When it comes to moss, if it's going to grow in your tank at all it will grow from a single sprig just as well as a 12" square.
Hope this is some help.
 
My kind of post :)
Best advice is go out and pick what you like the look of (responsiably) And prepare yourself for it to look completely different in a tank :p
A lot of mosses growing in very dry environments also adapt extremely well.
 
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