Mini fissidens

Fissidens sp. 'Mini'

Also known as Sydney mini fissidens, Fissidens sp. Mini

FreshwaterMossDivisionFragmentation

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 61–81°F; 16–27°C
Max height: 0.6 in; 1.5 cm

Growth rate: Slow
Placement: Epiphyte
Type: Moss
pH: 5.9–7.9
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Spread: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Medium
Family: Fissidentaceae
Origin: Australia (Sydney region) and Asia

Overview

Mini fissidens is a tiny moss used for detail work on rock and wood in nano scapes. It is rated medium in difficulty, and it is a slow moss that takes patience.

Did you know

Mini fissidens is one of the slowest-growing aquarium mosses. A single healthy patch can take many months to spread over a rock. That slow growth is why established carpets command a premium and the plant stays rare and pricey.

Caring for Mini fissidens

Glue or tie Mini fissidens onto rock or fine wood in small tufts. The pieces are so small that attaching them is fiddly.

Moderate light keeps it dense without inviting algae onto the fine fronds. CO2, clean water, regular water changes and gentle flow all speed up what is otherwise a crawling growth rate. It feeds from the water, so a liquid fertilizer suits it better than root tabs. Keep it cool and stable at 61 to 81°F (16 to 27°C) rather than warm.

Pull a clump apart into smaller pieces and tie each one down to spread it. Pieces that break off keep growing as well.

Good to know

Mini fissidens is an undescribed species in the genus Fissidens, family Fissidentaceae, so the trade name 'Mini' stands in for a proper binomial. Its leaves lie in a flat, two-ranked plane, with a small pocket-like flap called the vaginant lamina at each leaf base. That arrangement sets it apart from most aquarium mosses. Its shoots, typically only about 1 cm long, are shorter and finer than those of Fissidens nobilis. Its leaflets are even smaller than those of Fissidens fontanus.

In the wild

Mini fissidens was collected around Sydney in Australia and in parts of Asia. It grows on rocks and wood in cool, clean, flowing freshwater, hugging damp, shaded stone in seepages and along stream margins. It holds on with fine rhizoids and creeps very slowly across hard surfaces.

Common questions

Does Mini fissidens need to be planted in the substrate?

No. Mini fissidens 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 Mini fissidens need CO2?

No, but it helps. Mini fissidens can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Mini fissidens need?

Mini fissidens wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

How do you propagate Mini fissidens?

Mini fissidens propagates by division and fragmentation. Pull a clump apart into smaller pieces and tie each one down. Pieces that break off keep growing, so pulling a clump apart spreads it.