TankBud

Mini Christmas moss

Vesicularia sp. 'Mini Christmas'

Also known as Mini Xmas moss, Vesicularia sp. 'Mini', Vesicularia sp. 'Mini Christmas Moss', Vesicularia montagnei 'Mini', Taxiphyllum sp. 'Mini Christmas'

FreshwaterMossCuttingsSide shoots

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
Hardness
0–30 dGH
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, shops list Southeast Asia)

Overview

Tie or glue a thin layer of Mini Christmas moss to wood, stone or mesh and let the fronds spread in flat layers. It suits nano tanks, moss walls and small driftwood trees, where it stays about 1 to 5 cm thick. Low light will do, but CO2 (Flowgrow lists 20 to 40 mg/l) and regular fertilizer give denser fronds. Growth is slow. Cooler water tends to keep the fir-tree shape, and warm water makes it grow looser, more like Java moss. Trim it often to force branching and rinse out trapped debris.

In the wild

Mini Christmas moss has no known wild origin, and shops list only Southeast Asia or Asia. It first spread through the hobby under the name of a different moss before the Mini Christmas name stuck. Wild Vesicularia mosses cover wet stones and roots along tropical Asian streams, where they spend part of the year above the water and part of it below.

Good to know

Mini Christmas moss is an unidentified Vesicularia in the family Hypnaceae. Flowgrow and Aquasabi list it as Vesicularia sp. with no species name, though one US shop labels it Vesicularia montagnei 'Mini'. Its fronds have the flat, triangular fir-tree outline of Christmas moss at about half the size, on thinner, shorter shoots that lie flat or hang over. Shops that also sell Anchor moss describe Mini Christmas as the darker, finer one with layered fronds, and Anchor as the paler moss with right-angled shoots.

Did you know

Aquarzon, an Australian moss grower, grew Mini Christmas beside regular Christmas moss for more than a year to confirm it stays more compact. Aquarzon also warns that much Australian stock sold as Mini Christmas is another moss.

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