Weeping Moss

Scientific name: Vesicularia ferriei

Origin: Asia, thought to be China

Growth: medium, 3–5 cm fronds

Light and CO2: medium light; CO2 optional

Placement: tie along branches so it hangs

Propagation: divide and re-tie

Weeping Moss (Vesicularia ferriei) is the moss that grows downward instead of outward. Its bright green, teardrop-shaped shoots droop from whatever they are attached to, so a strip tied along the top of a branch or over the edge of a rock forms a trailing curtain within a couple of months. It is believed to come from China and reached the hobby through Asian nurseries. Fronds sit around 1–3 cm on arrival and 3–5 cm once settled. Like the other mosses it has no roots and is never buried; it takes its nutrients from the water and simply needs something to hang from. Growth is medium paced, a little slower than Java Moss, and it is tidier. The hanging growth gives shrimp a sheltered surface to pick over, and the fine fronds hold biofilm, the microbial film shrimp graze. Thin it when it thickens: once the outer layer shades the inside, the buried growth browns off, so a regular trim keeps the whole curtain green.

Water: adaptable to ordinary tropical tank conditions; a little flow keeps the fronds clean. Avoid letting fine debris settle on it.

Planting: lay a thin line of moss along the upper side of a branch and hold it with cotton thread or aquarium-safe cyanoacrylate gel glue. Position it high so the shoots have room to hang.

Light and feeding: medium light (about 0.5 W per litre on Tropica's scale) brings the best weeping habit; it copes with less. CO2 injection (carbon dioxide gas added to boost plant growth) is optional. Feed lightly with liquid fertiliser and trim with scissors every few weeks to keep the curtain shape.