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Re: Amano's Unknown "Javamoss"




Hi there, 
I currently live in Japan. After visiting some fish stores specialising in Amano products I noticed this moss in their display tanks. It looks indead a lot more branched. Regular Javamoss looks more messy in the sense that the branches seem to divide on random basis and grow in any direction. This type of moss has main branches that divide to both sides every 2 or 3mm. When it grows out it starts to make "leave-like platforms" in a triangular shape.
I thought it was an awesome sight. Initially I thought it was because of the growing conditions. All those tanks had CO2 , at least 4w/gallon , anyway, the complete Amano technique. In my hometank I had some of the "traditional " Javamos growing under 3W/Gallon and CO2. The growing pattern was so different I was doubting if this was exactly the same species. 
So I bought some of it. Back home I stripped half of the old Javamoss that covered the bogwood and attached the newly aquired moss to the cleaned half. A good test, the conditions are now the same for both the mosses coming from different sources,  genetic difference should show (scientists , please don't flame me, this is amateur empirism  ) . 6 months later: The traditional Javamos grows messy as it always does. The "new" moss branched to form the triangular shaped leaves. It looks a bit more like a very fine fernleave. So there is definitely a difference! I like this moss a lot. Next month I am moving back to Belgium and I will surely carry some, even if I need to get it through customs on a ham and salad sandwich!! One surviving strand makes enough to grow a tankfull. ( patience and care). I also have the impression it needs a bit more light then regular Javamoss to really thrive.
The name is another thing. I can't read Japanese ( or not a wole lot) , but Amano uses the name "willow moss" a lot. I am not sure if it refers to this moss but is it very probable since there are not that many moss species right? Can anybody with Amano experience enlighten us ( Ryan, are you familiar with this? ). Sorry if I am giving wrong directions but this is definitely some hybrid or different species. Lets' call it Vesicularia Amanensis untill some real scientist can tell us the correct nomenclature, ha ha. 

( Ryan: Thanks for the soil tip, the tank is doing GREAT, I'm all excited about it, I hope Europe imports Aqua soil)

Dirk alias Sakanaman.


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