Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei) has been gaining it popularity over the years. Base on my knowledge, it was made well known by aquarium hobbyist in Singapore. Perhaps there are 3 main reasons that it is becoming so popular, and many are taking it as a better alternative to the well-known Java moss:

1. It forms a very neat moss wall (if it is cultivated with a proper setup Moss wire mesh), with the moss forming a Christmas-tree-like shape

2. Christmas moss grows slower, so lesser maintenance effort is required. For Java moss, if you let it grow freely for 3 to 4 weeks in your tank, probably your tank will become unpleasant for your sight. As for Christmas moss, it could stay well intact and neat for at least 7-8 weeks. That’s half the effort to maintain, in short.

Some facts about Christmas moss:
Common Name: Christmas Moss, Xmas Moss
Scientific Name: Vesicularia montagnei
Temperature: 65F-77F
pH: 5.0-7.5
Light: Low (1.5WPG) to High (3WPG+)
Growth: Slow
Difficulty: Beginner

Christmas moss could grow beautifully in the aquarium tank with very high lighting, and it could also grow very well in the darkest corner. It is not too demanding over the lighting or pH, but in order for it to grow well, it has to be kept in the soft water.

The best temperature for Christmas moss would be arpund 24 to 26 degree. It could survive well in the range of 18 to 30 degree, but the growth rate will be slower.

All these behaviours of Christmas moss got to do with its natural habitat - waterfall area in the dense tropical forest. The sun are shining throughout the year, and the temperature could grow very high (more than 30 degree) at times. During the monsoon season, it is almost raining everyday and the temperature and sun light drops significantly.

Very interesting moss, let me know if you wish to get some samples! =)

View this article if you wish to know how to plant Christmas moss (It is almost identical with the way to plant Java moss)

The easiest way to get Christmas moss would be from Google or online stores. Click here to purchase Christmas moss if you need some.

David

A very simple technique could be employed to create a DIY backdrop using aquatic moss for the natural aquarium. The stuffs needed to create the moss wall are commonly available, and the following simple steps will show you how to get it done with a little effort, on DIY basis.

The above are what you would need to create the DIY moss background (or moss wall):

* Plastic Mesh (click here to buy Plastic Mesh)
* Scissors
* Suction Cups
* Tying Wire
* Aquatic Moss (click here to buy Java moss)

The plastic mesh is commonly available in most hardware stores, plant nuseries, and large supermarkets. It’s main use is to be mounted on windows to prevent mosquitoes and other insects from entering the house. Well, we have different use for it. The meshes come in different colours and sizes, but for our moss background (or moss wall), we would need one that is about 7mm to 8mm in size, and black colour is more appropriate for the backdrop.

The mesh is cut to 2 times the size of the tank that you want the moss background (or moss wall) to be in. You would need to fold the mesh in half and stuff the moss in-between. Cut some holes on the perimeter of the mesh so as to stick in the suction cups. For my demonstration, it’s for a small 1 ft tank, hence one suction cup is sufficient. If you are doing a large wall, you will need to put in more suction cups especially on the 4 corners, and also some suction cups around the centre of the mesh to prevent warping when the mesh is in the tank.

Next, you would need sufficient quantity of moss. Open up the mesh, and spread out the moss evenly onto half of the mesh. Try not to leave any space uncovered, else you might have gaps in your moss wall later when the wall has been erected in your tank and the moss starts to grow out.

Next, fold back the other half of the mesh, and tie up the 2 halves together. I’m using some tying wire here, since it’s simple and I have it available on hand. You could also use fishing line or nylon thread to tie it up. Do not use any cotton thread since it will disintegrate after a short while in the tank. Remember to insert in the suction cups.

The above diagrams illustrate the final product.

Next, insert the mess against the back panel of your tank. Try to leave as little gap between the mesh and the glass as possible to prevent small fish from entering and stuck inside. One tip to prevent fish from entering the gap is to cut the height of the mesh to be slightly taller so that you can tuck the bottom of the mesh slightly into the substrate, and the top slightly above the highest water line. As for the length, try to measure it accurately so that both sides of the mesh fit closely to both sides of the tank.
The final step, wait for the moss to grow out of the mesh, and thou shall be rewarded.

Congratulation! It’s done! You will be having a very beautiful moss background in 2-3 months time. Christmas moss will be a better choice to create the moss background (or moss wall), as compared to Java moss due to it’s growth nature of forming a series of neat triangle shapes, which looks like a Christmas tree (that’s how we got the name of Christmas moss). I shall discuss more about it in the next article!

Christmas moss: Click here to buy Christmas moss
Moss wall installation package (plastic mesh): Click here to buy Moss wall installation package (plastic mesh) to secure the moss

If you are interested to know how to plant Java moss, Christmas moss, or other moss, in order to create a great aquarium floor, you could refer to the article on more information about How to plant and grow Java moss.

Source of information: http://www.aquamoss.net

David

It could be quite frustrating for many beginners when they were searching for a step by step guide on the Internet to grow the java moss. You need the right tools, and the right technique for a good start before you could see a java moss wall or java moss tank growing well!

A very simple technique could be employed to secure plants like Moss, Riccia and Pellia to various deco such as wood, rock and wire mesh. The stuffs needed are commonly available, and the following simple steps will show you how to get it done with a little effort.

The above are what you would need:

* 1 tub of mini Riccia, Moss or Pellia
* Stainless steel wire mesh of any size.
* Tweezer
* A pair of scissors for cutting net and string in the setup later
* Clear nylon or fish thread to tie the plant

Next, you would cut the net with size bigger than the wire mesh.

Next,
- Use tweezers to pick up some mini Riccia and lay on the wire mesh.
- A thin layer is sufficient, leave some space in between the small clump of Riccia.
- All the space will be fully covered when the Moss or Riccia propagate in a few weeks.

Next, do as shown above

Next, lay the net on the mini Riccia or Moss.

Next, do as shown above
- Hold the net with the wire mesh and flip over.
- Fold the net inwards and prepare to tie it later.

Next, get a clear nylon or fish thread as they are invisible to human eyes.

Next, do as shown above
- Secure the net with fishing thread at one of the corner of wire mesh.
- Use the thread to go around the wire mesh and secure another knot at the other end.
- Make sure all knots are well tightened.

Congratulation! It’s done!
- Repeat the entire process again if you have few more wire mesh to go.
- Put the wire mesh into your aquarium.
- This method is good to do a carpet style of mini Riccia/moss/pellia especially for your little shrimp.
- Do not block the plants from light.

Hope that the step-by-step guide is useful for you. If ever you wish to purchase the java moss, plant net, stainless-steel wire as shown in the guide above, you could visit the links below:

Java moss: Click here to buy java moss
Plant net: Click here to buy plant net to cover the java moss
Wire Mesh: Click here to buy the Stainless Steel wire mesh

David

It could be very difficult to distinguish among different variety of moss - and among all, Java moss is the easiest to grow - so you could easily conclude that the price for Java moss would be the lowest, followed by other range of mosses according to their growth rate (the faster they grow, the cheaper to farm them), and also the sensitivity (the harder to grow, the more “premium” would they be).

Before we start, follow the link if you wish to know how to DIY a moss wall for aquarium tank with aquatic moss.

Java moss

Java Moss can be readily recognized by the presence of many long branches with short to long, distantly spaced, lateral branchlets. The small, flattened leaves are arranged on two sides of the stem and branches. When tied to driftwood or rocks, the long branches of the plant become more profusely produced. Observed under the microscope, the leaf shape is oblong to oblong-lanceolate, with a short and wide leaf tip. Its leaf cells are long and narrow, with thin- to moderately thick walls. The leaf margins are toothed throughout. Two short “veins” (or costae) can be clearly seen at the base of the leaf blade.

Interestingly, the species, since its first description, has not been seen to produce fruiting capsules in cultivation. Often time, alleged specimens of Java Moss with capsules that were sent to us for confirmation turned out to be of a different moss species that grows in mixture with the Java Moss.

Christmas moss

A rising star among the tropical aquarium mosses lately is the Christmas Moss (Vesicularia montagnei (Bel.) Broth.). The plant got its common name because the mature fronds hang down and overlap each other like the branches of a Christmas tree. Many hobbyists grow them as a moss wall, decorating the aquascape of fish tank.

Grown submersed, the moss can produce long triangular fronds. Its more or less regularly pinnate to subpinnate branches are characteristic. The leaves are nearly round to broadly oval with an abruptly short and sharp apex, and the leaf cells are broad and short in outline, and with thin walls. The two leaf costae are also somewhat conspicuous. In its natural environment, Christmas Moss grows on shaded wet bank of stream and creeks, and also on wet shaded ground in forest. It is a widespread species in tropical Asia.

Taiwan moss

One recently introduced and rather pricey aquarium moss is the Taiwan Moss [cf. Taxiphyllum alternans (Card.) Iwats.]. As the common trade name suggests, it is exported from Taiwan but we can not be sure if the plants truly originated from the island country. The fronds of Taiwan Moss exhibit a triangular shape somewhat similar to the Christmas Moss, but are distinctively more equilateral. The ends of the branches curl up slightly when grown in water. Unlike the Christmas Moss which feels hard when touched, the Taiwan Moss has a soft texture and looks delicate when grown in a bunch.

Like Java Moss, the leaves of Taiwan Moss are oblong-lanceolate with two well marked costae, but have a gradually (not abruptly) longer and sharper apex. Its leaf cells, like those of Java Moss and other species belonging to the same genus (Taxiphyllum), are narrow and long. However, a distinct difference between these two species can be observed in their leaf margins. In Taiwan Moss, only the upper leaf apex is irregularly and minutely toothed. In contrast, the leaf margins of Java Moss are toothed throughout.

Weeping moss

Another recently introduced aquarium moss allegedly from mainland China is the Weeping Moss [cf. Vesicularia ferriei (Card. & Thér.) Broth.).]. The mature fronds of this moss droop like the branches of a weeping willow tree. The overall leaf shape and the oblong and broad leaf cells approach that of Christmas Moss, but the leaf is without an abruptly short and sharp apex. This aquarium moss still needs time to gain popularity among the aquarium plant enthusiasts..

Source of information: http://www.killies.com

You could find and purchase some moss for your aquarium tank here.

David

We have been receiving inquiries on where to buy java moss and there are a lot of people looking for java moss sale but not sure where is the reliable store that we should get the java moss from.

For those who wish to get the answer fast and get straight to the point, the best place to source for Java moss would be from tropical countries (e.g. South-East-Asia), and best channel to order the java moss would be the Internet. No doubt about that, the best bargain on internet is available on the ebay marketplace.

You could find java moss with low price here

Let me explain the reason behind that - why bother to source from foreign country? You would probably know that the original habitat of all moss would be the tropical forest, nearby the waterfall area - cooling air, adequate sun light and the air is densely moisturized. That’s the place that Javamoss grow the fastest and in their best form.

However, it is almost impossible to harvest large amount of moss from the wild, due to the inaccessibility of those areas, as well as the concern over the potential hazards (e.g. bacteria, worms etc) which might be found in the moss harvested from the wild. Instead, due to the high demand from the world, there are some farmers in Asia who started to farm java moss since 2005 - and such aquarium plant farmers have already quite established in Europe and some in US.

Java moss was not origin from Europe or US, and it has to be kept in green room throughout the year. The spring and summer with good sunlight is short - slow growth for the java moss (it is only 5 to 7 cm growth per month). Lastly, this is a labour intensive industry. All these factors have been translated into tremendous cost for the Europe or US farmers to farm java moss - the price was simply ridiculous for the customers.

For Asia farmers, life is better for them and eventually aquarium plant farming industry has been growing steadily. The world is now enjoying lower price to make java moss as part of their aqua-scaping design. They have been offering many java moss for sale and it also make them the best place to buy java moss from.

To order direct from Asia farmer or seller, the shipping cost and time is always the concern. The trick is to order medium amount and to ship it with express shipment. For local store which sellers each portion at USD 8 to 10, with shipping fee at USD 3 to 4, it would cost at least USD150 to USD200 to fill up a medium tank (about 10 portions). If the purchase is done from Asia seller, it will only cost USD 100 or even lesser to place an order of 10 portions, including shipping fee. The difference is huge, and the moss will be placed in special packaging to within the 7 to 12 days journey, and it will survive well in such packaging.

However, if you are purchasing small amount (like 1 to 2 portions), the price difference might not be huge. Just look for one that is reliable will do (with money back guarantee if the plant didn’t arrive or dead).

Lastly, never under-estimate eBay as the competition among Asia sellers are so strong, and their prices have been dropping to historical low for all these years.

You could find java moss with low price here. It is definitely java moss for sale and not much competitors could match the price.

David