Aquatic Magic - Aquarium Plants, Moss, Pots, Aquarium Fish, Prawns and Aquarium Equipments

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