# java moss is this a good price?



## Bradyk (Sep 26, 2011)

so i have the chance to buy some java moss off of a guy and he is charging me 50.00 for a bucket full of it. now i dont know if this is a 1 gallon bucket half way full or a 5 gallon bucket?

is this a good deal even if its a small bucket? anything i should worry about if i purchase it?

i know java moss isnt cheap in some areas, a lfs charges 6.00 for a small cup of it but i know alot of people get java moss confused with other mosses and they dont seem to last as long if it isnt true java.

so what do you think? deal or no deal?


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## Woodworm (Jan 3, 2009)

Sounds high to me for a small bucket but I haven't truly shopped for plants in a long time. I got/get almost all my plants from club members or at our club auctions.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I would never pay $50 for a bucket of java moss no matter how big the bucket. I wouldn't want to pay $6 for a cup of it either. A small cup will turn into a jungle in short order, as it grows like a week. I pull and throw the stuff out by the handful. Somebody's got a good thing going if they're making that kind of money on it. If you're forced to pay those prices, get the smallest amount you can and grow it out yourself.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

I do not want to rain on anyone's parade, but I looked and looked for Java Moss, when I finally got some after finding my local places sold out, I found it's basically like a green hairball that migrates towards intakes because of the current. I do not think it will grow onto a surface unless you trap it between two mesh panels.

I finally pulled every scrap out of my tanks when I could not get it to do what I wanted, and instead got smoe java fern and anubias, I am no plant expert, but that stuff is pretty messy.


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## Bradyk (Sep 26, 2011)

It is a little much, but I've had some in my tank for a year now and it hasn't grown that much. I have noticed that java likes alot of flow and I'm not sure about light. The moss gross better at the top of the tank on the rocks where there is alot of flow and alot of light.

For some reason it doesn't grow very well on the bottom of the tank and mid level. I'm not sure if I have enough light for it.

Anybody have any thought or tricks on making it grow better?


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## itsglobalbackerz (Jan 4, 2012)

It's a good price ........


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

He's got a bucket of it because he harvested the excess from his own tanks. Been there, done that myself. I throw handfuls away. I use dual T8 shoplights using 6500K bulbs over mine in 12" deep tanks running sponge filtration only. How deep is your tank? I've got cherry shrimp in many of these tanks and they keep the stuff really clean. I've found that helps it to stay healthy and grow quickly.


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## tim_s (Nov 27, 2011)

Java moss grows so readily, just buy a handful from someone for around $2 and watch it take over, I removed all Java moss before converting my tank from Central American to African and I am still finding strands around the tank.


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## Bradyk (Sep 26, 2011)

prov356 said:


> He's got a bucket of it because he harvested the excess from his own tanks. Been there, done that myself. I throw handfuls away. I use dual T8 shoplights using 6500K bulbs over mine in 12" deep tanks running sponge filtration only. How deep is your tank? I've got cherry shrimp in many of these tanks and they keep the stuff really clean. I've found that helps it to stay healthy and grow quickly.


tim - the tank that i have it in is a 110 gallon tall. i have 2 shop lights a total of 4 bulbs t12 6500k and run them for about 9 1/2 hrs a day. the moss up top does good closer to the outputs of the filters. but it does horrible down below. not enough light maybe? its hard to figure out how to light a planted 110 tall tank because the lights sit up so high and i cant find any info on the net about planted 110 highs.

it seems like the plants did better when i used my marineland single led's and i had more algae growth, i dunno its weird....


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> tim - the tank that i have it in is a 110 gallon tall. i have 2 shop lights a total of 4 bulbs t12 6500k and run them for about 9 1/2 hrs a day. the moss up top does good closer to the outputs of the filters. but it does horrible down below. not enough light maybe? its hard to figure out how to light a planted 110 tall tank because the lights sit up so high and i cant find any info on the net about planted 110 highs.
> 
> it seems like the plants did better when i used my marineland single led's and i had more algae growth, i dunno its weird....


I think you need a plant expert to answer this, and that wouldn't be me. You might try posting the question in the plant section of the forum.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

*Bradyk*
A 110g is a tall tank and the par of any light drastically drops as it moves through water. That makes them unpopular for planted tanks... LEDs often have pretty decent penetrating capability, much better than big T12 bulbs so that might explain your feelings on when things were going well. On a 110g tank, if you really want plants consider cree 3w LED lights so that the bottom of that tank can grow anything! :thumb:


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

am i the only one that realized mandykk quoted prov356 word for word? -.-


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

jd lover said:


> am i the only one that realized mandykk quoted prov356 word for word? -.-


Ah, thanks! Good eye... common spammer trick. When you spot posts like this, don't forget to use the REPORT button at the top right hand corner of each post. It let's us know there's an issue and we can deal with the problem. :thumb:


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## jd lover (Mar 11, 2011)

Number6 said:


> jd lover said:
> 
> 
> > am i the only one that realized mandykk quoted prov356 word for word? -.-
> ...


yea i wasnt sure since it added like 3 words at the end =p


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## skurj (Oct 30, 2011)

I put some java moss in my tang tank along with a small anubias, and the stuff is growing madly. (55g lit with marineland led hoods)

I had hoped it would sort of cover the rocks but no such luck, and I am not willing to spend a lot of time pruning. I am considering getting rid of it, but for the moment my smallest calvus uses it to hide in when she is being bullied.

The moss is at the top of the tank, while the anubias is at the bottom and growing ok, not sure if its growing abit slower since I moved to the LED's.


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