Singapore moss

Vesicularia dubyana

Also known as True Vesicularia dubyana

FreshwaterBrackishMossCuttingsRhizome divisionSpores

Singapore moss (Vesicularia dubyana) — (c) Igor Balashov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

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: 5.0–8.0
Hardness: 2–20 dGH
Spread: 5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Water column
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Family: Hypnaceae
Origin: Tropical Asia

Overview

Treat it like any easy hardscape moss: tie or glue it to wood or rock and let it attach. It is very forgiving of light, temperature, and hardness, but it grows more slowly and ramifies more densely than the Taxiphyllum sold as Java moss, giving a finer, more compact look. At least moderate light and some CO2 improve branching. It is a solid choice for nano tanks, shrimp tanks, and as a spawning substrate.

In the wild

Singapore moss is a true moss widely distributed across the Asian tropics, growing on rocks, roots, and wood in and beside slow freshwater, and it even tolerates brackish margins. It attaches by rhizoids and forms irregular, densely branched cushions. In nature it handles a wide range of light and water conditions, which is why it is so hardy in tanks.

Good to know

Vesicularia dubyana is the true, accepted binomial for the moss aquarists call Singapore moss. It is famously mixed up with 'Java moss': in 1982 moss expert Zennosuke Iwatsuki showed that the fast-growing plant sold as Java moss is actually Taxiphyllum barbieri, while true Vesicularia dubyana is a distinct, slower species. Unlike Taxiphyllum, V. dubyana is monoecious and will readily form spore capsules (sporophytes) even while growing fully submerged.

Did you know

The plant most hobbyists call 'Java moss' is not actually Vesicularia dubyana at all, the real V. dubyana is the slower, denser 'Singapore moss', and the mix-up has persisted in the trade for over forty years.