Moss

Java moss
Taxiphyllum barbieri
BeginnerFine in a closed jar
Soft trailing strands that cling to wood and rock. The easiest moss there is.
What the simulation uses
- Light
- 500 to 10,000 lux
- The brightness it grows well in.
- Humidity
- 80 to 100 % RH
- Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.
- Temperature
- 20 to 30 °C
- Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.
- Dies at
- below 5 or above 35 °C
- Days beyond these temperatures kill it.
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 8 pH
- Soil acidity it prefers.
- Grows up
- 0.3 cm/month
- How fast it gains height in good conditions.
- Spreads
- 0.65 cm/month
- How fast its edge creeps outwards.
- Thickens
- 6.5 %/month
- How fast its cover fills in on its own ground.
- Copes with wet
- excellent
- How well it stands soggy soil; poor means rot comes quickly.
- Copes with still air
- excellent
- Sealed jars have still air; poor means grey mould finds it.
- Copes with shade
- excellent
- How well it holds on in dim light.
- Copes with drying
- poor
- How well it survives the jar drying out.
- Water use
- 0.045 ml/cm²/day
- Water that evaporates off the cushion each day in room air.
- Holds water
- 0.18 ml/cm²
- Water a cm² of moss soaks up and keeps.
- Grows on
- soil, stone, wood
- Where it can take hold and spread. Moss that cannot grow on stone thins out there.
Care
- Day length
- 10 to 14 h
- Substrate
- Wet, copes with standing water
What kills it
- drying out below ~70% RH
- prolonged heat above ~30 C
- algae smothering in high light
Description
Java moss comes from tropical riverbanks and grows happily underwater or in open air. It accepts low light and a wide range of water. Keep humidity above about 70% and avoid strong light, which can let algae smother it.
Also called Bogor moss, Vesicularia dubyana (trade name).
Estimated, where sources were thin: light_lux (Tropica only says 'low'); growth rate (Tropica says 'medium'); ph; temp_lethal_c.