Is my Java Moss Dead?

[_Ty_]

there are two basic classes of things needed by plants to grow and thrive. Macronutrients and Micronutrients (micronutrients is the same thing as trace elements/nutrients)

here's a link to learn macro and micro.

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/plants/PlantWaterMaintenance.htm


The point is, that even in your small "low tech" setup, a micronutrient suppliment will help quite a bit. It's liquid vitamins for plants. An example would be 'Seachem Flourish', or 'Kent Pro-Plant Growth Developer'.
Maybe it will help the moss?

 

[dundadundun]

there are two basic classes of things needed by plants to grow and thrive. Macronutrients and Micronutrients (micronutrients is the same thing as trace elements/nutrients)

here's a link to learn macro and micro.

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/plants/PlantWaterMaintenance.htm


The point is, that even in your small "low tech" setup, a micronutrient suppliment will help quite a bit. It's liquid vitamins for plants. An example would be 'Seachem Flourish', or 'Kent Pro-Plant Growth Developer'.
Maybe it will help the moss?

i would have to agree with the above.

here is an example of what a tiny bit of kh2po4 and plantex csm+b can do for moss that looks like that:


kh2po4 adds potassium and phosphates and plantex handles micros and a little iron. you can get them at aquariumfertilizer.com for really cheap and they should last you years in a 5 gallon tank.

i make the stock solutions in used up flourish bottles and dose them with a medicine doser i got at the walmart pharmacy section. it's like a syringe with measurements on it. you can find directions on how to mix it at the end of the first post here: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fertilizing/15225-estimative-index-dosing-guide.html

i am using a lot less light than you are per gallon so things should do fine in your setup. also my lights are hung pretty high above my tank to keep things balanced so i don't need co2. my airstone running 24/7 provides a decent equilibrium on this tank. also this tank gets anywhere from 10 to 15 hours of light a day and things have been fine for quite some time now. i could lower the time but i don't see a necessity. although i must admit my other tank would be a catastrophe on the same schedule.

oh, and sorry about the photo skills and my kids creative thinking. my daughter likes to add a touch of red from time to time. i actually didn't see the crayon until i saw it in the pic.

 

[_Ty_]

Dundadundun began to point out a very important thing about planted tanks.

It's all about balance. The right light for YOUR SETUP. The right ferts for YOUR SETUP. Co2, etc, etc.

It's very individual. Every plant, fish, water, light, substrate, decor,and the amounts of them will create an individual scenario on a per tank basis. It takes a lot of patience and tiny changes made over time ( like experiments ).

You can't go wrong adding the nutrients, as it is a missing element right now. But, as far as how much of it, I'd stick with the recommended dosage for your tank size (instructions on the bottle). Give it a few weeks at least to see if it's helping. Once you're confident there, feel free to peruse the forums for advice on increasing/decreasing other characteristics to find your tank's optimum balace for what you'd like it to be or become.

I'm willing to bet that nutrient suppliments will probably be all that your little tank needs, but who knows. There could also be something undesirable in the water that is harming the moss. I have to ask the obvious questions:

Do you perform routine partial water changes? If so, how often?

Do you use tap water? If so, do you treat it with dechlorinating product?

Are there fish in there (fish poo can be used by plants)?

Are there shrimp or snails or maybe an oto to keep the moss clean of smothering algea and debris?

And as I said earlier, water current is important, even if all you have room for is an air stone, the extra water movement keeps debris in movement so that the filter will catch it. Water movement also helps deliver nutrients and co2 to the plants. And before some smart-alec chimes in, obviously too much water agitation will lower the co2 in the water (imagine shaking a soda bottle), and can uproot small plants.

 

[dundadundun]

_Ty_ has given a substantial amount of good information that cannot be disputed. the one thing i will touch on is the old smart alec go to. if you are adding co2 the info stated is all completely correct. if you are not (which you probably should be with all that light) then the surface agitation will actually raise your co2. atmosphere holds a substantial amount more than water unless you are actually diffusing it into your tank. at that point than adding surface agitation is working against you. that is exactly the reason i have air stones all over the tank in the picture.

 

[_Ty_]

Another good call D.

As is my style here's the basic science of it;

Co2 enters and leaves water fairly readily. Surface agitation increases the water's surface area in contact with the air, naturally speeding the process. Co2 will tend to move from higher concentration to lower, whichever direction that may be. In my case, lol, I lose co2.

Also to OP, remember that IRON is one of the most essential trace nutrients with MAGNESIUM running a close second as these are necessary for the formation of CHLOROPHYLL which is responsibe for plant metabolism. Ensure that, along with other stuff, IRON and MAGNESIUM are amoung the top ingredients in the micronutrient supplement you buy. Without these, plants suffer from CHLOROSIS, where the leaves yellow or become transparent, and the plant dies.

Nitrogen is another major player in Chlorophyll, but fortunately is abundant in many aquariums in the form of Nitrates. Which is why plants help reduce water toxicity; In a "cycled" tank, fish waste is eventually converted into Nitrates. Nitrates are less toxic than ammonia or nitrite but can eventually can build to toxic levels, which is why we do water changes (among other reasons). As you hopefully know by now. But plants actually use Nitrates, thereby increasing the effectiveness of water changes and the overall water quality.

Point being, in a cycled tank, nitrogen isn't usually necessary to add. Which is why you should NEVER use miracle grow or any other non-aquarium plant product. These are made for soil and therefore contain extra nitrates in the form of urea and ammonia in high concentrations which can raise these levels dramatically, to toxic levels, and kill fish within minutes.

Neat stuff. I love aquarium science.