TankBud

Anchor moss

Vesicularia sp. 'Anchor'

Also known as Vesicularia sp. 'Anchor Moss'

FreshwaterMossCuttingsSide shoots

Anchor moss (Vesicularia sp. 'Anchor')
Buce Plant · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
59–86°F
15–30°C
Max height
2 in
5 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Moss
pH
5.0–7.0
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Medium
Family
Hypnaceae
Origin
Unknown wild origin (trade moss from Singapore, marketed around 2006)

Overview

Anchor moss is a moss for wood, stone or mesh that knits into compact cushions. Flowgrow rates it medium in difficulty.

Did you know

Flowgrow cannot yet say whether Anchor moss, Mini Christmas moss and a Vesicularia sold as 'China moss' are one moss or three. It also warns that at least one moss sold as Anchor looks clearly different from the original.

Caring for Anchor moss

Tie or glue a thin layer of Anchor moss to wood, stone or mesh, and give it a few weeks to grip. It grows in low light without injected CO2, and stronger light turns it a darker green.

Flowgrow lists low to high light with 20 to 40 mg/l of CO2, and Buce notes that CO2 speeds growth and thickens the cushion. It feeds from the water column, so use a liquid fertilizer. It tolerates 59 to 86°F (15 to 30°C), though two US shops advise keeping it at 25°C or cooler.

Anchor moss grows slowly. Trim the cushion now and then and rinse out trapped debris so the inner shoots stay green. A cut stem tip or side shoot can be tied down on its own as a new piece.

Good to know

Anchor moss is an unidentified Vesicularia in the family Hypnaceae, so it goes by a trade name. Its thick, broad stems branch at close to right angles, and it is a much paler green than most aquarium mosses. Shops that also sell Mini Christmas moss tell the two apart by these traits. Mini Christmas is darker and finer, with flat fronds in overlapping layers.

In the wild

Anchor moss has no known wild origin. Flowgrow, drawing on an early write-up by Loh Kwek Leong, says the Singapore company Bioplast brought it to market around 2006 or earlier. Buce Plant also lists Singapore. Its genus, Vesicularia, grows on damp rock, soil and wood beside streams across tropical Asia, both above and below the waterline.

Common questions

Does Anchor moss need to be planted in the substrate?

No. Anchor moss grows on rock or wood rather than in the substrate. Tie it on with cotton thread or fishing line, or use gel superglue, until it anchors itself.

Does Anchor moss need CO2?

No, but it helps. Anchor moss can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Anchor moss need?

Anchor moss is a low-light plant, and the light that comes with a standard tank kit is enough for it.

How do you propagate Anchor moss?

Anchor moss propagates by cuttings and side shoots. Cut off the top of a stem and replant it, and the stump left behind grows new shoots. Cut a side shoot off once it has a few leaves and tie it down on its own.

How tall does Anchor moss grow?

Anchor moss grows to about 2 in (5 cm) tall. It grows slowly.

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