# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Aquatic Moss Club >  Mini Moss

## strung_0ut

I have gotten a few request for a so-called mini moss in the past couple months and what can I say, that it doesn't exist or is it just a mistaken identity for an easily found moss all over? This moss has duped me and my money for long enough. My guess is that it is either singapore or christmas moss. I've seen both of them look like that famous picture from mynatureaquarium.com. Has anyone ever really been there? Anyone ever seen that actual piece? I say we ban that picture from the internet, because everyone keeps getting suckered into it. I'm just playing = ). Here is the mini moss I have gotten awhile back from Adrian who sells on aquabid. He is a nice and honest guy and I'm in no way trying to slander him in anyway, especially since its very very hard to identify moss. So if I offended you buddy, get back to me right away, and I'll edit this up.



And here is a singapore moss which originally was identified as a kind've erect moss growing downward like christmas. Mr. Loh later on showed a his moss pole and it was identified as singapore moss. 



When I first received this moss, I knew it was more than just singapore moss. There was just something special about it, it grew at a different pace, and grew in a different structure. This is why I do not get the whole morphology of mosses. I know, if you go back to the old days, if I grew the same moss that Nicholas Chung sent me they would not be the same. I still have some of that moss growing emersed in tub. Perhaps I should try it out. 



That is all for now along with the few more pictures in the upcoming posts.

Best Regards,

Dennis

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## strung_0ut

This same moss, resembled the narrow christmas structure of Mr. Loh's moss pole with lesser light in the past.



Getting a overhead view was the hardest, as it always kept coming out blurry. I wish you could see it clearer.



Best Regards,
Dennis

P.S. sometimes I get the feeling there is a conspiracy around mosses. Haha = ), just kidding again.

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## Green Baron

Dennis,
Personally I believe what is called Mini Moss is actually Singapore Moss. I have had singapore moss which looks like Jason's Mini Moss.

The other moss you have is something different. I came across this moss about 6 months back in a LFS here in Singapore and the owner told me it is 'Christmas Moss'. I knew it is not the regular Christmas or Singapore moss so I bought some and they are now growing in my tank.

I have tried getting the Prof to ID it but because we don't know its origin, Prof can't ID it with 100% certainty. We can only say it is a _Vesicularia_ but don't know the species name so for now it is just another _Vesicularia sp._

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## strung_0ut

> Dennis,
> Personally I believe what is called Mini Moss is actually Singapore Moss. I have had singapore moss which looks like Jason's Mini Moss.
> 
> The other moss you have is something different. I came across this moss about 6 months back in a LFS here in Singapore and the owner told me it is 'Christmas Moss'. I knew it is not the regular Christmas or Singapore moss so I bought some and they are now growing in my tank.
> 
> I have tried getting the Prof to ID it but because we don't know its origin, Prof can't ID it with 100% certainty. We can only say it is a _Vesicularia_ but don't know the species name so for now it is just another _Vesicularia sp._


Hey Mr. Gan,

But didn't Mr. Loh identify it as Singapore moss? From this exact thread right here http://www.killies.com/forum/viewtop...highlight=pole. And later was identified in mosses and the men who love them part IV. I agree with you though, it seems as not singapore neither christmas.

Best Regards,
Dennis

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## timebomb

> P.S. sometimes I get the feeling there is a conspiracy around mosses. Haha = ), just kidding again.


You don't know how right you are, Dennis. There's definitely a conspiracy  :Laughing: . Hobbyists who want to profit from their mosses give them fancy names so they can sell them at high prices. Fish shop owners are reluctant to call their moss Singapore Moss because with such a name, the moss won't sell. So they give it fancy names, like Mini-Moss, Mini-Taiwan, Mini-Christmas etc.

It's hard to tell from pictures if yours is a new moss. It may interest you to know that even the professor can't tell unless he looks at the moss under a microscope. Even then, he can only be sure of the genus if he doesn't know where the moss orginates from. 

The professor has helped us cleared the big mystery surrounding the identities of the mosses. But the fact is, there are so many around it's impossible to identify all of them. As interest in mosses grow, more and more species are appearing in the market. In the old days before the professor, life was simpler  :Laughing: . Now, although the big mystery has been solved, there are still many small mysteries around  :Laughing: 

Loh K L

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## Green Baron

> Hey Mr. Gan,
> 
> But didn't Mr. Loh identify it as Singapore moss? From this exact thread right here http://www.killies.com/forum/viewtop...highlight=pole. And later was identified in mosses and the men who love them part IV. I agree with you though, it seems as not singapore neither christmas.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Dennis


No, that is a different moss which I bought from another LFS (Colourful Aquarium). You should know I can tell the difference between these two !  :Laughing:  

The 'mini moss' I bought is exactly like yours.

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## erirku

WOW! Thats all I can think of. Damn, wish my mosses grew crazy like that,  :Smile: . Good job Dennis, keep it up or should I say "keep it growing!" LOL.

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## strung_0ut

Despite the two older posts I'll flow with you on that Gan. You know though I didn't receive it from you though right? But you probably already know who sent it already. I knew there was a conspiracy going around. I hope all these new mosses turn out to be Singapore. Its driving me insane trying to keep up and make room and keep wanting. Why is this drug so addicting? Probably more so over than cigarrettes for me. A new species pops up so fast nowadays, I just hope they're all Singapore!! Well not really but throw away all the blibber blabber and I'd like to say thank you. I really feel like I am peaked and I do not want it to stop. I say in this hobby I never have been happier. Mr. Loh, and a few others I'll keep secret, but I'm sure they know who they are or I'll send you a pm anyways, I couldn't have been so much into this hobby and so happy about it if it weren't for you guys and this whole site. It wasn't the words or the infomation, but really actually the pictures and connections. I really wish people would post more pictures and they're mega drive for inspiration, at least in me. Especially you Timebomb, I wish you would posts more pictures of your personal tanks. My prediction is you wish not to get a constant flock of requests for plants, this heat is just killing it, or your waiting for a nice showcase. But wanting to strive and achieve something I use to dream about and actually reaching my goal to where I want it, well its just a good feeling. Keep up the closeness of this site and the good spirit. I am here until I grow old like Wright = ) unless....

Best Regards,

Dennis

Eric,
What did you mean by, thats all I can think of?

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## Green Baron

Dennis,
I am very sure I didn't send you that moss. However, I believe it is not uncommon amongs local hobbyists since this moss is sold in a popular LFS.

I have given up trying to keep all the different species of mosses. I now only keep a few which I like and easy to maintain and I know where/who to go should I need other species  :Laughing:

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## timebomb

> Especially you Timebomb, I wish you would posts more pictures of your personal tanks. My prediction is you wish not to get a constant flock of requests for plants, this heat is just killing it, or your waiting for a nice showcase.


Thanks very much for the nice compliments about this site, Dennis. The moderators and I try hard to inculcate a culture where hobbyists share what they have with others. We're not in favour of hobbyists striving too hard to make money from their plants. We believe hobbyists should remain as hobbyists.

Having said that, it's a tough call for me, as you have guessed. Many forum users and just as many who are not, write me for plants and Killifish eggs. I can't help much with the latter as I don't keep as many species of Killies as I used to. With mosses though, I have always tried to give to those who asked for them, so long as they ask nicely. Any requests that are peppered with sms short forms or does not carry a real name go straight into my trash bin. Over the years, I must have spent the equivalent of a few thousand dollars sending plants to people all over the world. It does nothing for me except that it gives me a good feeling to make others feel good. Some hobbyists are very successful with the mosses I give them and they sell their excess plants on aquabid. I have no problems with that. If I give something to someone, he's free to do whatever he likes with it. I just hope that occasionally, they will share their plants with their fellow-hobbyists and spread the joy around. 

I could have made a couple of thousands of dollars selling mosses and the Downoi's if I had sold them. Many hobbyists all over the world want these plants badly and I'm sure they will pay if I had asked for money. But other than on one occasion where I sold mosses and the Downoi's during a Killifish gathering at a fish shop about a year ago, I have never collected money for my plants. 

To tell the truth, financially, I'm a lot poorer for it. Not only do I not collect money, I also pay for postage. But if I have to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything. Because I feel a lot richer for the number of friends I have over the internet.

Ultimately, one has to ask himself, whether he prefers to have lots of money or lots of friends. I prefer the latter.

By the way, one reason I have not been posting any pictures of my tanks recently is because the tanks look terrible now. Honestly, you grow mosses much better than I do, Dennis. Your love for mosses show in the way they grow in your tanks. You definitely fit the profile of the guy I had in mind when I wrote of "Mosses and the men who love them"  :Smile: 

Loh K L

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## FC

Dennis,

Just to share with you my thoughts on sharing pics on internet forum. I am quite successful in planted tank and all that came from some hard works and some lucks. However, I have not been a good aquascaper although I tried very hard. Occasionally, I got it and I have many now. And if someone happened to ask and related to my pics that would benifit him/her, I will post it without hesitation.

I knew KL for quite awhile and enough to share with you who he is. He is a very generous and selfless hobbyists when come to gifting, sharing his past time joy, etc. If you have the previlege to visit him, look at his book shelves, you will see he has all sorts of paded envelops, ready to send plants to people who ask (in the right etiquette) for it, for FREE always. He has helped me in many ways in this aquatic hobby, I received some plants and drift wood for free on the first day I knew/met him. And almost every time I visit him, he will not let me empty handed back home. He does that to most people, especially the newbies. He is on the minus and I do not know when I can even it. And for your knowledge, he has lots of success in mosses and long time ago. However, he has also suffer alot of set backs. I think about 20% of the time, his tank was in delima. He keep going... And on sharing pics, he had done alot although he got his digital camera not very long ago. It's matter of timing and may be mood. Perhaps, you need to trigger his right nerve points  :Laughing:  .

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## erirku

> Eric,
> What did you mean by, thats all I can think of?


Just my thought of how someone like you and others grow mosses really well. Oh, BTW, the weeping moss you sent me is growing mad, and crazy.

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## stormhawk

KL,

Those people who received the plants from you for free or for a trade should have at least paid postage or sent something in a trade.

Sometimes without money we can't do many other things. Some people have taken to selling plants and eggs to generate some income to pay for the fishes's upkeep. This is out of necessity as we all need money for something sometimes. Then there are those who take advantage of freebies and try to make a fast buck out of them. Its really irksome but it happens sometimes.  :Laughing: 

Like Ron once mentioned, feeding and housing the fish costs money, growing and taking care of the plants need money, even doing water changes and running chillers plus lights need money. Its only right that these people pay you a small sum for the plants and postage or do a trade for the plants.  :Wink: 

Better be a little richer than poorer.  :Very Happy:

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## stormhawk

Dennis, you should exercise some self-restraint when talking about other people's stuff. You might be sued for nothing if they took offense.  :Laughing:  

Back to the mini-moss, I was looking at the image on the website you mentioned. By the way, you got the URL wrong. :P 

It looks like some straggly form of Singapore Moss. I have some, although a little infested with BBA but it looks the same as that Mini Moss. I've yet to see a "dwarf" species of moss though hopefully I may be proven wrong in time to come.  :Laughing:

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## timebomb

> Those people who received the plants from you for free or for a trade should have at least paid postage or sent something in a trade.


Jianyang, I don't ask them to pay for postage because it takes only Sing $1.50 to send moss to anywhere in the world. The stamp is a dollar and the padded envelope 50 cents. In any case, my paypal account is no longer valid and I'm too wary of paypal to activate it. Most who asked for the mosses though, offered to pay for them. 

I don't accept payment but occasionally, someone sends something nice in return. I got a Christmas card recently and several years ago, someone sent a quartz watch to my daughter. 

I have no problems with people selling their excess stuff to pay for their hobby. I think I've already said that in my earlier post. The guys who bugged me are those so-called hobbyists who buy from one hobbyist to sell to another. 

Loh K L

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