Java Moss and Temperature in Ponds   2/1/14
Can you overwinter java moss in a pond in the Airizona desert?
<Probably not.>
The temperatures in the pond usally range from 40°F-53°F in winter,
<A bit cold. Have tried Java Moss in unheated tanks, and when too cold, it tends to get smothered with algae.>
although sometimes it can drop to 32°F. The general outdoor surface temperatures range from 80-32 degrees Fahrenheit. Are the pond temperatures too cold for java moss in winter?
<Sounds like it.>
Also I was wondering about summer temperatures in the Airizona desert. Would java moss survive 90-100 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures in a pond?
<Would not bank on it. Java Moss in the wild lives in streams, or more specifically, on the rocks around them, and I'm not 100% sure it actually lives underwater much of the time. There's some confusion about what "Java Moss" is in terms of its species and origin, despite being so familiar among hobbyists.>
The temperature in the pond rarely gets above 90 and is sunken in the ground, to help keep it cool.
Thank you
<Doesn't sound like a good option here. I would instead look at floating plants. Indian Fern, Water Lettuce and especially Water Hyacinth would all be viable during the summer, and small quantities could be overwintered indoors as required. Cheers, Neale.>

Aquatic Mosses 12/07/08 Hello to all of you. Hope things are going well! Even though I have done some research on aquarium mosses I am still unsure of which one I would like to grow on my driftwood. One of my main concerns is the plant breaking apart and having to net out small pieces everywhere. Could you please recommend a moss that is attractive, good for beginners and will not fall apart easily? Thank you for your help. James <James, I'm not sure *any* moss qualifies in this regard. By their very nature, Bryophytes are fairly loosely put together because they lack vascular tissues, which is why, among other reasons, they never get more than a couple of inches tall. The only common moss in the trade is the Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana), though there are liverworts (e.g., Riccia) and even algae (e.g., Cladophora) that get sold as "mosses" from time to time. The only other mosses you sometimes see are Fontinalis spp ("Willow" and "Christmas tree" mosses), but not all species do equally well in tropical aquaria and in general they're best suited to subtropical to room temperature tanks, depending on the species. In any case, my experience of mosses is basically this: in a tank with small, gentle fish they frequently become established very quickly and soon develop into a lush bed of green. But in a tank with fish that root about or scrape (e.g., Plecs) mosses can be destroyed before they get a chance to become established. The "trick" if there is one is to carefully bind the moss with lots of black cotton to whatever bit of wood you want it to cover, and then to make sure big fish aren't going to destroy it. Cheers, Neale.>