TankBud

Taiwan moss

Taxiphyllum alternans

Also known as Taxiphyllum sp. 'Taiwan', Taiwan triangle moss

FreshwaterMossDivisionFragmentation

Taiwan moss (Taxiphyllum alternans)
(c) James Hardee, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
59–82°F
15–28°C
Max height
3.9 in
10 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Moss
pH
5.0–8.0
Hardness
0–14 dGH
Spread
5.9 in (15 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Hypnaceae
Origin
Southeastern USA and Eastern Asia (temperate to subtropical regions)

Overview

Taiwan moss is an easy, forgiving moss for wood and rock. It tolerates a wide range of temperature and water hardness.

Did you know

Taiwan moss is one of the best mosses for breeding tanks. Its bushy, overhanging growth gives fry and baby shrimp dense cover and plenty of surface to graze biofilm.

Caring for Taiwan moss

Attach Taiwan moss to wood or rock with thread or gel superglue, and let it grip on its own. It needs no substrate.

Taiwan moss grows in low light without CO2. Brighter light and added CO2 make it branch more tightly and regularly than most similar Taxiphyllum species, with a more overhanging look. It feeds from the water column, so dose a liquid fertilizer. It handles 59 to 82°F (15 to 28°C).

It grows at a medium pace. Trim it now and then to keep the shape. To spread it, pull a clump apart and tie each piece down, since pieces that break off keep growing.

Good to know

Taiwan moss is Taxiphyllum alternans, a moss in the family Hypnaceae that the trade long sold simply as Taiwan moss. It also goes by Taiwan triangle moss. It is often confused with java moss, Taxiphyllum barbieri. The two differ in leaf-margin teeth, which run the full edge in T. barbieri but appear only near the tip in T. alternans.

In the wild

Taiwan moss comes from temperate and subtropical parts of the southeastern United States and Eastern Asia. It grows on soil, tree roots, rotting wood in swamps and rocks near waterfalls. Its habit is creeping and horizontal, spreading sideways over surfaces rather than growing upward. In good conditions it forms dense, overhanging fronds that hang like a compact weeping moss.

Common questions

Does Taiwan moss need to be planted in the substrate?

No. Taiwan 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 Taiwan moss need CO2?

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

How much light does Taiwan moss need?

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

How do you propagate Taiwan moss?

Taiwan moss 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.

How tall does Taiwan moss grow?

Taiwan moss grows to about 3.9 in (10 cm) tall. It grows at a moderate pace.

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