Moss
Flame moss
Taxiphyllum sp. 'Flame'
BeginnerFine in a closed jar
Upright twisting spires, like little green flames.
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
- 0.4 cm/month
- How fast it gains height in good conditions.
- Spreads
- 0.4 cm/month
- How fast its edge creeps outwards.
- Thickens
- 4 %/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
An aquarium moss at heart, it also takes to wet wood and glass in a humid tank and is very easy to grow. Keep humidity above about 70% and avoid harsh light, which invites algae.
Estimated, where sources were thin: all rates from hobby reports.