Java Moss

["Kent Carpenter" <kcarpen1 at rochester_rr.com>]

	I'm glad to see Wright and others have had difficulty
with this plant. 
 
I attached a clump to a piece of driftwood in a 55 gallon tank
with sand substrate, dozens of Crystal Vals, 2 large swords and
a couple of thriving Java Ferns. There has never been a filter
in this tank that has run for over 4 years now, with a fair fish
load (no Killies). Lights on timer, 14 hours/day. The water gets
changed maybe twice per year, and the Java Moss grows well enough
to require trimming occasionally.

However.........I keep clumps of moss in shoeboxes in the fishroom
in the basement with 14 hours of light, topping up with tank water
for "fertilizer" The temp stays between 67 - 70 year-round. TDS is
180, KH 89ppm, GH 125ppm. It always slowly dies off. I move it to
fry tanks between times, where it still receives light and nutrients
from snails, food, etc., but I cannot keep it going, I'm constantly
buying new clumps at my LFS. 

If anyone knows how to stretch out its' lifespan, I would certainly
appreciate it.

Kent Carpenter
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