Description
Christmas Moss is one of the most widely used plants in aquarium husbandry. Although the plant is not fast-growing, it can form a beautiful carpet moss in a freshwater aquarium. The plant is named for its branches that hang down, overlapping each other to form the shape of a Christmas Tree. The moss is relatively easy to care for and cultivate.
Christmas Moss is also known by its scientific name, Vesicularia montagnei, and is a member of the Hypnaceae family of aquatic plants. Other common names for the plant include Xmas Moss, and, in Japan, the plant is called Brazillian Willow Moss.
Moss Vesicularia Montagnei is an aquatic moss that grows especially well when completely immersed in water. Apart from looking great in your aquarium, the plant provides a perfect hiding place for and source of food for small fish, fry, and invertebrates. Xmas moss is often confused with Java Moss. Although the two plants look very similar, they are completely different species.
Although it’s fair to say that Christmas Moss resembles a fir tree, it is actually a creeping plant that grows horizontally to form mats, rather than vertically. The plant grows slowly, but it does cover quite a lot of ground if allowed to grow unobstructed. Many aquarists use the plant as a carpet or to create a moss wall in their tank.
Christmas Moss has round or oval-shaped leaves in a rich, dark green that terminate in a short point. The leaves are small in size and grow at right angles to the stem.
Vesicularia montagnei is the perfect moss in aquarium conditions as it will survive in virtually all lighting conditions. However, the plant’s growth rate will ultimately be influenced by the amount of light it receives. Low to medium amounts of light will result in slower growth, so ideally, brighter light will produce better results. That said, be careful not to expose the moss to bright sunlight for long periods of time, as that may harm the plants.
This plant is grown locally (Malta) by one of our partner aquarium plant keepers/breeders. You are buying the equivalent of a tub of 5cm of christmass moss.
