# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Aquatic Moss Club >  new moss browning

## NingNing

i aquired a moss wall from a bro a 2 days ago. 

it was lush and apple green. 

today, some parts of the moss is browning. oh my god. why?! 

my temp is set at 25 degrees. 

light is 36w for a standard 2 feet tank. 

no co2, no ferts. 

any help to resolve this issue?

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## NingNing

anyone? the moss does not turn yellow but straight brown.

sorry my bad my moss is spikey.

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## bitstream

this is my guess and mind u its a guess only. Sometimes if the conditions are too different from the previous tank, the moss may die off. Did the other guy have a chiller in the tank as well? Spikey moss then to be quite hardy in my experience.

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## NingNing

not too sure about the chiller...
you mean under different conditions spikey moss turn out different?

i know he was keeping tetra. and the spikey was kept in the office... so i believe the waters were cold.

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## andrew73

You're not the only one to experience this. All my previously tied moss on driftwood browned until after a few attempts, I just left the wood barren! :Sad:  Recently tried tying on mesh and leaving it on side, like moss wall and some are growing well, some browned in a few days...AGAIN! I wonder if the aeration from bubbles affect the moss growth?

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## Wilfred

I think i read it somewhere, says that is common that moss go browned  :Knockout:  after you add it to new/other tank, will recover if you take care of it well. Correct me if I'm wrong  :Laughing:  

Newbie here, currently i have flame moss myself, same here browned, 55watt, 2feet tank, no Co2, no fish, light 8hour per day _(close to 2 week since i started my tank)_ about 28+/- degree, filter just spoil _(old one, getting new one soon)_, use air pump in place of Co2 and for cooling/water cycling _(read it somewhere also)_, now i can see all my moss growing new bud _(1~4mm tall)_, bright green like _(a lot all over, 100% sure not algae)_, it's nicer that the time i bought it _(I mean the new grow part not the browned one)_.

O.. add some fertilizer, is will boots it grow  :Laughing: , hmm.. really i don't remember where did i read it from,  :Angel:  Hope this help a bit.

*Try google "moss dying" you might able to get some tip from other as well.  :Cool:

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## andrew73

Will do, Wilfred. THanks for info and tips.

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## Wilfred

Need to correct my self, the browned part will not recover* but it will regrow the new buds/moss on it, take times to over grow the browned part, please don't throw them away  :Razz:  let us happy moss'ing  :Grin: 

*for healthier moss have good water flow/current in the tank  :Cool:

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## herns

> Need to correct my self, the browned part will not recover* but it will regrow the new buds/moss on it, take times to over grow the browned part, please don't throw them away  let us happy moss'ing 
> 
> *for healthier moss have good water flow/current in the tank


5 year old thread worth resurrecting.

I have the same experience with willow moss recently. All green when I got them and few weeks later they ALL turned brown. Whitish brown with no sign of life. I just keep in a fish container with cfl bulbs and diy co2. after few weeks I have seen new growth on all tips of the moss.

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## Cmlee

Do you leave these browning moss in the tank or do you cut it away?
will browning moss affect water quality and kill fishes?

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## markus92

Yup I did cut them away due to the appearance, I doubt it has any affect to water quality or fishes

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## Cmlee

Does the brown moss rot away and become fertilizer?

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## Urban Aquaria

> Do you leave these browning moss in the tank or do you cut it away?
> will browning moss affect water quality and kill fishes?





> Does the brown moss rot away and become fertilizer?


The dead or dying brown moss will basically rot and add to the waste load in the tank, so it's better to remove it to avoid the accumulation of too much excess waste which can make the parameters toxic for the fishes... this is the same for any dead organic plant or animal matter in the tank.

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## Cmlee

Yes just moss but I am not sure if it is dying or not
it seems like very dark green or a mix of dark green and brown.  :Sad:

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## Cmlee

Could the browning be due to keeping it in a tub soak with water for 2 weeks before use?
should I add fertilizer to those remaining ones in the tub to make it grow again??

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## Urban Aquaria

> Yes just moss but I am not sure if it is dying or not
> it seems like very dark green or a mix of dark green and brown.


Dark green is okay... but brown means already dead and rotting so better to just remove those brown parts.




> Could the browning be due to keeping it in a tub soak with water for 2 weeks before use?
> should I add fertilizer to those remaining ones in the tub to make it grow again??


Well, moss generally don't require much nutrients to sustain (some mosses even react negatively to too much fertilizers)... but they still do need light to grow, so maybe shift the tub of mosses to somewhere where it gets some indirect light so that it can still maintain some growth to replace the dying parts.

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## Cmlee

Can I add tap water directly to moss tub or I still need anti chlorine ?

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## Urban Aquaria

> Can I add tap water directly to moss tub or I still need anti chlorine ?


Tap water with chlorine/chloramine doesn't seem to affect plants much... i've washed and soaked my new plants in fresh tap water for a few days without issues.

Haven't tested keeping them long term in just chlorinated tap water though (usually for the spare mosses that i keep in containers, i just use de-chlorinated water from my top-up flask whenever i change their container water), i guess it wouldn't affect them significantly anyways.

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## Cmlee

The moss that kept in the tub become smelly when I open up
it also looks like melting at the side of the tub 
any idea what is wrong?

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## Urban Aquaria

> The moss that kept in the tub become smelly when I open up
> it also looks like melting at the side of the tub 
> any idea what is wrong?


Stagnant old water + rotting plant material + covered container/no air circulation = Stinky smell.

Solution: 

Do more water changes + remove rotting moss + open the container to air it regularly = Less stinky smell.  :Smile: 

As for the moss melting at the sides of the tub, maybe they can't get enough light so gradually die off.

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## Cmlee

I did open the container every night then cover it in the morning, is that not enough air?
can I put at the window and let it rain or shine?

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## Urban Aquaria

> I did open the container every night then cover it in the morning, is that not enough air?
> can I put at the window and let it rain or shine?


In that case, then its probably just the stagnant water and rotting moss that create the smell... therefore you'll have to change the water more regularly and remove the rotting bits of moss. It'll also be better if you are able to leave the container open all the time, the constant air circulation will help too.

You can put the container of moss next to the window (or at a location where some light can reach it), no need to be under direct sunlight. Also remember to rotate the container periodically so that the moss on all sides can get some light too.

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## Cmlee

If I leave whole day at the window, Is direct sun ok?

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## Urban Aquaria

> If I leave whole day at the window, Is direct sun ok?


Can try, it all depends on the amount of sunlight shining through the window.... if its too much light and algae starts forming in the tub, then just move the container further away from the window to reduce the amount of light it receives.

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## Cmlee

Thanks UA ..........

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