TankBud

Taiwan moss

Taxiphyllum alternans

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

FreshwaterMossCuttings

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

An easy, forgiving moss that tolerates a wide temperature and hardness range and needs no substrate. Attach it to wood or rock with thread or gel superglue and let it grip on its own. It grows fine in low light without CO2, but added CO2 and brighter light produce tighter, more regular branching and the attractive overhanging look. Trim occasionally to keep the shape and reattach the cuttings to spread it.

In the wild

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

Good to know

This species sits in the family Hypnaceae and is the moss the aquarium trade long sold simply as 'Taiwan moss'. It is frequently confused with Taxiphyllum barbieri (Java moss); the two are separated by leaf-margin teeth, which run the full leaf edge in T. barbieri but appear only near the leaf tip in T. alternans. Under strong light it branches more densely and regularly than most similar Taxiphyllum species.

Did you know

Its bushy, overhanging growth makes it one of the best mosses for breeding tanks, giving fry and baby shrimp dense cover to hide in and plenty of surface for grazing biofilm.

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