TankBud

Willow moss

Fontinalis antipyretica

Also known as Fountain moss, Water moss, Common water moss, Greater water moss

FreshwaterMossCuttings

Willow moss (Fontinalis antipyretica)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Low light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Temperature
50–79°F
10–26°C
Max height
4.7 in
12 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Epiphyte
Type
Moss
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
2–20 dGH
Spread
11.8 in (30 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Water column
Growth region
Submersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Fontinalaceae
Origin
Northern Hemisphere: Europe, temperate Asia, North America, Greenland, and parts of North Africa

Overview

Willow moss is an undemanding, low-tech moss best suited to cooler tanks (it prefers water below about 24 C and slows or melts if kept warm for long). Tie or glue it to driftwood or rock; it needs no substrate and no CO2. Give it low to moderate light, since strong light quickly causes algae to smother the fine fronds. Growth is slow, so it stays tidy, but good water movement keeps it clean and healthy.

In the wild

A widespread cool-water moss found across the Northern Hemisphere, growing in cold, well-oxygenated streams, rivers, and lakes throughout Europe, temperate Asia, and North America. In the wild it anchors to rocks, submerged wood, and other permanent objects in flowing water, forming long dark-green trailing strands that can reach 60 cm. It is highly variable in appearance, taking on different forms depending on flow and light.

Good to know

Fontinalis antipyretica belongs to the family Fontinalaceae and, like all mosses, has no true roots. It attaches by rhizoids to any hard surface and reproduces by spores or simple division. The species name antipyretica means 'against fever' and refers to a historical folk belief; the plant was also once packed around chimneys and stoves in Scandinavia to reduce fire risk, which gave rise to the common name fountain moss.

Did you know

It is one of the few aquarium mosses that genuinely favors cold water, making it a natural choice for unheated coldwater and white cloud minnow tanks where tropical mosses would struggle.

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