A plant new to me

[Mike Wise]

I’m not a plant specialist so this plant is new to me. So does anyone know what plant this is. No, it is not Java Moss. The leaves are much smaller, narrower and more pointed at the tip.

It grows in a clumps, like Java Moss:

It just suddenly appeared in my 40 gallon breeder tank about 4 months ago. I don’t know where it came from, but now it is growing all over the tank. The only fish I added to the tank at around this time were a trio of Green-gold Corys (Osteogaster melanotaenia) that were locally spawned - and I had them in quarantine by themselves for almost 10 weeks. I think this is where my Rodway Tetras (Hemmigrammus rodwayi) – the guppies of the tetra world – are now breeding … and breeding … and breeding … !

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Fissidens sp.

Cheers Darrel

 

[anewbie]

If it is fissidens only a few will do well in blackwater condition but if you are using tap water that will open the door to other species.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Better monitor, not Fissidens, but it maybe Drepanoclados aduncus. Moss names in the trade are all made up or misapplied.

I think Hemigrammis rodwayi are an underrated fish, they are a good "silver" tetra.

Cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I should also have said that I really like it, I'm just a <"moss"> fan.

The best resource for moss names is probably Flowgrow - <"https://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/drepanocladus-aduncus">.

Cheers Darrel

 

[KenL]

I just love it when (slightly grown) fry appear and you had no idea they were breeding.

 

[Mike Wise]

Thanks for the ID and information, Darrel. It's really appreciated. My community tank is simple tap water (simple partial drain, add dechlor and a hose). I wonder if it could be used used as a spawning media for pencils and softer water fish?

Me? I'm a anything that stays green in my tank fan. I like H. rodwayi, too. I had the store pick out the silver tetras from their shipment of Gold Tetras (same species) to use as contrasts to more colorful species. I'm sure I've become known as the 'weird tetra guy' since I buy up all of their oddball tetras that come in - and for some reason they're more than happy that I do.

 

[Mike Wise]

I just love it when (slightly grown) fry appear and you had no idea they were breeding.

Yes to some extent. I started with 7. Now have ~15-20, not counting those sent to my club's semi-annual auctions over the past 2 years. Anyone who needs a tetra for their club's Breeders Award Program, H. rodwayi is an excellent choice.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Thanks for the ID and information, Darrel. It's really appreciated. My community tank is simple tap water (simple partial drain, add dechlor and a hose). I wonder if it could be used used as a spawning media for pencils and softer water fish?

They make excellent "spawning mops", a lot of breeders of small ExCorydoras spp. use a tank with a big wodge of moss for spawning tanks - <"https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/readers-visits/your-tanks-mark-allison/">.

I get asked a lot about moss ID on <"UKAPS">, the problem is that you usually need a spore capsule and / or a photomicrograph of the microphyll ("leaf") for a definitive ID, so it is normally just "pick a name".

Me? I'm a anything that stays green in my tank fan.

My undergraduate degree is in Botany, so I should do better, but "stays green" is my go to as well.

I like H. rodwayi, too. I had the store pick out the silver tetras from their shipment of Gold Tetras (same species) to use as contrasts to more colorful species.

I'm always on the lookout for by-catch tetras, problem is that we normally get them only one at a time, which isn't very useful.

Cheers Darrel

 

[anewbie]

Hi all,
Better monitor, not Fissidens, but it maybe Drepanoclados aduncus. Moss names in the trade are all made up or misapplied.

Fyi: Drepanoclados aduncus prefer hard alkaline water.

 

[anewbie]

Thanks for the ID and information, Darrel. It's really appreciated. My community tank is simple tap water (simple partial drain, add dechlor and a hose). I wonder if it could be used used as a spawning media for pencils and softer water fish?

Do you know tds or gh/kh of your tap water? I thought you said it was still fairly soft around 40.

 

[anewbie]

I think Hemigrammis rodwayi are an underrated fish, they are a good "silver" tetra.

Cheers Darrel

Don't they loose their yellow and revert to just silver in the aquarium? From Mike's picture they look very similar to Hyphessobrycon robustulus with maybe a little paler or smaller black spot on the tail.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Fyi: Drepanoclados aduncus prefer hard alkaline water.

It grows in our pond, which is full of oolitic limestone rubble, but also in the tanks which are about 100 microS conductivity and ~3dKH, so I don't think soft water is a problem. In the UK you can find it pretty widely anywhere it is damp and not a peat bog.

I've collected a few different mosses (for ID purposes) when I did some water quality work on the "By Brook", a limestone stream just NE of Bath, and lots of those eventually faded away.

My go to "Moss" is "Susswassertang" (Lomariopsis lineata), purely because it is a "no maintenance" option.

Cheers Darrel

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Don't they loose their yellow and revert to just silver in the aquarium?

You need Mike for a proper answer, but I think they are only gold if wild collected. The ones I've seen have had a fantastic "platinum shine", just like little drops of mercury.

Cheers Siver