# Rock clinging plants/algae



## iziris (Nov 19, 2008)

I am new to the site and fairly new(about a year) to having a nice fish set up. I have always wanted to do some type of live plant in my tank. I have tried the plants and always had them dug up and floating around the tank, so fake plants did it for me. Now, I am not necessarily looking for a "plant" but looking for something I could attach to my rocks. I would like something that looks similar to the first picture attached. The place I found the picture was stating that it was java moss. I'm far from an expert but I thought java moss looked like the second picture and tended to grow out of control requiring alot of trimming. Either way if someone could point me in the right direction that would be great and very appreciated. I have some things listed in my sig if that gives you any idea of what I currently have. I know there is no specific species listed but I will when I get home and have the time.
Thanks


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

The first attachment is Moss Balls, pretty simple to remember, hard to get them confused. :thumb:

If your doing something with plants in a Tang tank I say go with some Java Fern and Anubis They both need to be attached to something in order to grow. Also you will want to do plants that get attached to something do to the fact of the fish digging and like before you will have them floating around.

Some people do Onion plats also. I like them and gave them a shot but had little success. The need to only be partially buried under the substrate so that the top quarter of the bulb is still exposed but my fish had they're own ways around my tank and kept burying the entire plants bulb causing them to rot from the bottom up.


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## iziris (Nov 19, 2008)

I want something that looks like the first picture, I guess you can say fuzzy looking like the algae you would see in fresh water ponds or ditches that grow on rocks. As far as the moss balls is that something that you would be able to grow on a rock that would pretty much cover the rock?
Thanks


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Moss balls are what they are like I said, just balls of moss.

If you want something to cover rocks and such pretty much all other moss does that.

What your speaking of is hair algae and I never had it develop in any of my tanks, at least not to that degree as it is usually known as a pest.

If you can find some rocks with it growing on it you can transfer it to your tank and try to grow it out but it may either end up covering and/or starving any other plants.


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

Riccia fluitans may work
http://www.aquabotanic.com/ricciaarticle.html

not sure if you have to trim it or not, I've seen some beautiful tanks that use it as ground cover.


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## iziris (Nov 19, 2008)

Thanks for the responses. I am a little worried about putting hair algae in my tank, i'm sure it would easily become a pest and possibly be a pain to remove, although if I didn't some of that liquid algae remover may do the trick. I read a few things about people having trouble getting rid of java moss without it coming back up. I do like the Riccia Fluitans, I will have to do a little more research on it due to the fact that I wouldn't really want to have to constantly trim it.
Thanks again.


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