Java Moss is a floating plant. It grows free-floating or attaches itself to rocks, driftwood, etc., using its rhizoids. So you can use floating anchors to float the Java Moss plant effortlessly. As Java Moss floats, it acts as a hiding spot as well as a spawning site for mop-spawning fish.
Okay! Let’s now understand how to float the Java Moss plant using floating anchors.
Different Ways To Float Java Moss
Given below are the different ways in which you can float the Java Moss plant.
Use Cork Bark
Cork bark is regularly used for aquascaping and is a great option to use as a floating anchor for the Java Moss plant.
Moreover, it remains buoyant and doesn’t sink to the bottom of the floor.
Java Moss needs light to grow. So keep in mind that you never attach the moss to the underside of cork bark.
Instead, attach the moss around the edges of the floating cork bark.
Finally, you must be careful about the source of the cork bark.
Ensure that the cork bark is aquarium safe as you don’t want it to alter the water parameters.
Use Styrofoam
Styrofoam is also known as EPS or Expanded Polystyrene Foam.
Styrofoam is another potential anchor for your Java Moss plant as it floats on its own and doesn’t need any additional anchoring material.
However, styrofoam has a smooth texture and is not ideal for the Java Moss to grip.
Moreover, styrofoam lacks visual appeal. So some aquarists don’t like to use styrofoam unless the moss is big enough to conceal it.
Styrofoam still is an excellent choice as it’s safe for aquarium use.
Besides floating it, you can glue the styrofoam to the tank’s glass or other objects to create a unique underwater display.
Create Moss Balls
You can grow Java Moss by rolling it up into a ball and securing it at different spots using superglue or strings.
The Java Moss balls give the aquarium a calm and natural appearance.
By adjusting the length of the string, you can alter the moss ball’s height.
You can trim the moss to maintain the circular shape of the ball.
Besides adding decor to the tank, the moss ball provides a natural habitat for the fish and other inhabitants.
Drop The Moss In The Water
You don’t need any special equipment for this method. Put the moss in your aquarium, and it will start to grow.
Maintain the light intensity of the tank based on the plant’s requirement.
However, moss tends to submerge and attach to a surface.
So make sure that it doesn’t attach to the filter as it can clog and interfere with its working.
It would be best to trim the moss regularly to stimulate faster growth.
Moreover, also ensure that Java Moss doesn’t cover the entire tank’s surface as it will make it difficult for the fish to come to the surface for breathing.
Benefits Of Floating Java Moss To Aquariums
The Java Moss plant can help maintain an aquarium’s health.
Besides enhancing the tank’s beauty, it also helps in reducing the toxins from the water.
Given below are the various benefits a Java Moss plant provides to an aquarium.
Cleans The Aquarium
A Java Moss plant operates like a living filter. It reduces the amount of waste in the water.
Fish food and waste are responsible for increasing the ammonia and nitrate levels in the water.
If left unchecked, these will stimulate algae growth and damage the health of your aquarium.
A floating Java Moss plant reduces the waste by absorbing the toxins present in the water.
As a result, it cleans the water and keeps algae at bay.
Increases Oxygen Level
Plants absorb CO2 (carbon dioxide) and release O2 (oxygen).
Similarly, Java Moss also aerates the tank water by releasing oxygen in the water.
Grows Without Substrate
A Java Moss plant doesn’t need a substrate to anchor itself. It can attach to rocks, driftwood, or any other surface.
Java Moss can also survive by simply floating on the water’s surface.
It’s hardy and can live without anchoring itself to any object inside the aquarium.
Improves Tank’s Aesthetics
A Java Moss plant enhances an aquarium’s visual appeal.
Moreover, a floating Java Moss plant gives the fish tank a natural and wild touch.
Easy To Maintain
Java Moss needs regular trimming and pruning to encourage faster and healthier growth.
Moreover, it’s easy to maintain a floating Java Moss plant than an anchored one.
Finally, you can easily remove floating moss for trimming and place it back in the aquarium.
Benefits Of Floating Java Moss To Aquarium Fish
Besides being beneficial to aquariums, a Java Moss plant also helps the fish by providing them solace and security from aggressive tankmates.
The various benefits a Java Moss plant provides to aquarium fish are given below.
Provides Shade To Blackwater Fish
Blackwater fish love low lighting conditions.
Therefore, a floating Java Moss is an ideal aquatic plant for aquariums containing blackwater fish as it obstructs light from entering the aquarium.
If you want to keep neon tetras, ember tetras, or other blackwater fish, use the floating Java Moss plant to create low lighting conditions for them.
Mimics The Natural Habitat Of The Fish
A floating Java Moss plant mimics the natural habitat of the fish and provides them a place to rest and de-stress, just like their natural habitat.
Moreover, the fish can remain safe from predators and overeager breeding partners.
Shelters The Fish
Fry and timid fish need a hiding place to protect themselves from the aggressive fish.
A floating Java Moss provides a safe hiding place for such fish.
In the absence of a hiding place, large predatory fish can easily target the small, timid fish in the tank.
Both the planted and floating Java Moss plants help the fish take refuge and stay safe from the aggressors.
Protects The Eggs
Fish eggs are very delicate. Moreover, most fish eat their own eggs. So you must protect the eggs from any damage.
Delicate aquatic plants such as Java Moss are a good choice for this because eggs laid by fish stick to the plant’s leaves and stay put for several days before they hatch.
In addition, they are easy to care for and don’t harm the fish.
Serves As A Food Source
A Java Moss plant serves as a food source for the herbivores inside an aquarium.
The small fry also seek refuge and eat the plant leaves to satiate their food requirement.
