Moss Lomariopsis: maintenance and care

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-01 17:06

Moss Lomariopsis is an interesting ornamental plant, quite easy to maintain and care for. It is considered a botanical curiosity due to the fact that it looks like pellius liver moss. In fact, neither seaweed nor moss is lineata. Lomariopsis is a fern. It is distinguished from pellia by more elongated and rounded growths, as well as the absence of central veins on them. In this article, we will analyze in more detail the conditions for keeping this plant in aquariums.

Where it lives in nature

Moss lomariopsis lineata grows in Malaysia, China, the Philippines, New Guinea, America, Australia, Africa. Beautiful green bushes were found in reservoirs with clean, fresh and slowly flowing water. Aquarists from Russia got acquainted with this type of fern at the beginning of the 2000s. Since that time, Lomariopsis has been very popular, which is due to its unpretentiousness and beauty.

Howlooks

The appearance of this plant is quite unusual and decorative. The fern is somewhat reminiscent of seaweed. The shape of Lomariopsis is spherical, and its dimensions in the aquarium reach 10 by 10 cm, in the natural environment - 20 by 20 cm.

Lineata grows very slowly, gradually acquiring the appearance of lush beautiful green mounds. Fern leaves and roots do not rot.

Aquarium design

Lomariopsis moss is often used to decorate home ponds of all kinds and sizes, including "Dutch" and "nano". It looks best in the middle or background. If desired, it is permissible to grow in the foreground.

Many novice aquarists are wondering how to tie Lomariopsis moss? This is done with nylon threads, and it is tied to stones, snags and any other decorative elements.

The fern grows very well, does not float up, and eventually turns into lush green mounds in which shrimp, fish fry and other small animals hide.

In addition, with the help of Lomariopsis moss, you can create a green meadow. To do this, a thallus is laid on the bottom, and a grid is placed on top of it. After some time, the fern grows and the grid will not be visible.

It must be taken into account that this plant is shade-loving, so other inhabitants of the aquarium should be selected to match it so that Lomariopsis does not suffer from an excess or lack of light.

You should also avoid voracious and large herbivorous fish, such as cichlids, which easily and quickly eat it to the very root.

Necessary conditions

Keeping Lomariopsis moss in an aquarium is not difficult. That is why even beginner aquarists can learn how to grow it. Below are some of the features of care:

• The size of the reservoir itself does not really matter. It can be kept in both giant tanks and miniature home aquariums.
• The best characteristics for water: temperature from 18 to 30 degrees, acidity in the range of 6.5-8, and hardness of at least 2, but not more than 30.
• It is worth knowing that fern grows more intensively in soft water. It is recommended to add additional CO_{2. No mineral supplements needed.}

• Optimal illumination 0.3-0.4 W/l. If you increase the time spent in direct sunlight or increase the lighting, then the Lomariopsis moss will darken, the foliage will become smaller, and growth will slow down significantly. But the fern tolerates weak light well and survives where other plants die.
• Lineata has a distinctive feature - rather slow growth. Therefore, it will not be possible to quickly see all the beauty of the plant, it will take a long time.
• The advantage of lomariopsis moss is that it does not need to be replanted often. The bottom part does not die or rot.

Diseases

The plant does not suffer from diseases, but there may be a problem with algae attached to it, which will reduce the decorative effect of Lomariopsis due to parasitism on it.

The easiest way to get rid of this problem is to periodically wash the moss in running water, removing the algae yourself. Experts do not recommend the use of hydrogen peroxide.

Some aquarists get rid of parasites by using microscopic crustaceans - ostracods. But you should know that they multiply very quickly, so you can breed them only if there are fish in your home pond that feed on these crustaceans.

Breeding and care

After fixing the lomariopsis bush in the aquarium and then rooting it, the aquarist does not need to do anything else with it. In the event that the plant grows strongly, it can be divided into several parts and planted in different places.

Moss reproduces in two ways:

• Spores. First, a small sprout appears from one spore, and after a couple of weeks, a heart-shaped sprout appears from it. But this is not the bush itself yet, it will appear a little later.
• Dividing the bush. This method is used more often than the previous one and is common for breeding in home aquariums. Ideally, lomariopsis moss should look like a neat ball. If a large green hat appeared in the pond, then this serves as a signal for seating. A large bush is carefully torn into several pieces and placed in the selected places.

Conclusion

Lomariopsis lineata is suitable for those who want to transform their aquarium and add a twist to its design. And also for those who want to master a new plant. Beautiful green fern bushes will decorate a home pond. In addition, the fern does not require much effort to keep it in great shape. Lomariopsis breeding does not require much experience, even a beginner can handle it.