Is Brown Java Moss Dead? No. The brown color indicates the water condition in the tank or environment is not suitable for the java moss plant.
The plant is not receiving sufficient light and nutrition required for sustainable growth. As the plant starts producing less amount of food, it would have bad consequences for their growth.
The direct impact of the water condition could be seen in the change in the color of the leaves.
Table of Contents
- Reasons for Java Moss Turn Brown & Dead
- How to Protect Java Moss from Dying?
- Is Dead Java Mosses Bad for Fish Tanks?
- If Dead Java Mosses Remain in the Tank, will the Algae Grow?
- Is Dead Java Moss Harmful to Fish?
- Is Dead Java Moss Harmful to Other Plants?
- How to Recover the Dying Java Mosses?
- How to Clean Dead Java Mosses in Tanks?
- Conclusion:
The brown color on the leaves or stem doesn’t mean the java moss plant is dead. They can still go green when you provide the right amount of nutrition and light exposure to grow.
It is common to see java moss grow brown when the condition in the aquarium becomes harsh for the plant. Making the condition favorable to the plant gives the plant new life, and they start thriving again.
Reasons for Java Moss Turn Brown & Dead
Java moss is a sturdy plant compared to other aquarium plants. When the java moss turns brown and starts decaying, the reason for that is directly interlinked with the water condition or food supply. Two things are essential for the java moss plant to grow.
Firstly, check the water condition in your tank. The cloudy water could have a high amount of ammonia and other chemicals that reduce the visibilities.
Also, too much waste product could block the light from reaching the plant. Without sufficient light, the java moss plant could not produce the food and eventually die due to less nutrition.
The waste product in the tank also causes the java moss plant to die because the products take place on the plant and start blocking the photosynthesis process.
Cleaning the water would be the only solution to give them new life. The good thing is the java moss plant can re-grow itself when it is in perfect water condition.
Illuminate the tank with sufficient light, provide the fertilizer, and manage the water temperature to accommodate the plant with the natural condition in the aquarium. You will notice the brown leaves are turning green again, and your plant flourishes again.
How to Protect Java Moss from Dying?
Java moss doesn’t require special care, but it would be helpful if you generate the right condition to expedite the growth of the java moss plant.
Here are simple tips to protect the java moss plant from dying.
Avoid Saltwater:
Java moss plant is grown in natural freshwater condition. The saltwater would hurt the plant. Freshwater is a preferable solution and keeps java moss alive. Java moss is a sturdy plant that will survive for few weeks even the water condition is not suitable for them.
Slight brackish water can also be okay at a certain level. Brackish water could be saltier than freshwater, but they generally have fewer chemical substances harmful to the java moss plant.
Feed Nutrients:
Java moss plant grows quickly when they get right nutrients to require to flourish in the freshwater. The nutrients promote healthy growth. Skipping the nutrients may slow down the java moss plant growth, and if the water condition turns lethal, the plant will die.
Feed the java moss naturally found nutrients such as phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen. Please buy it from the local aquarium store and use it once in two months.
Use the nutrients in the liquid form as the java moss plant consumes it from the leaves and stems. The plant does not have the roots to collect the nutrients.
Tank Temperature:
The temperature of the tank water is determined by the type of fish you put in the tank. Some fish may require a cold temperature, and some may live in moderately hot temperature.
Depending on the type of fish, you can adjust the temperature. For most fish, the temperature between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is considered suitable for survival.
The java moss plant may prefer a slightly cooler temperature than this. Temperature between 70 to 75 degrees would be sufficient enough for healthy growth.
Always adjust the temperature according to the type of fish, as the fish must survive first, not the plant.
The plant can be grown easily in the other tank. After all, the java moss will not die in the hot temperature. The plant can survive even in the water at 80 to 90 degrees.
Therefore, the plant would be suitable for all kind of fish in the aquarium.
Is Dead Java Mosses Bad for Fish Tanks?
Yes. The dead java moss may start disintegrated in the water as soon as they turn brown and dead. The organic compound would get mixed in the water and change the water condition, leading to health problems in the fish.
When you notice the plant is dying, you should move the java moss plant into another tank until it re-grows back to normal.
If Dead Java Mosses Remain in the Tank, will the Algae Grow?
Algae use the java moss plant as their primary house when they start occupying the place in the tank. Even if the plant is dead, if the algae can hold their position on the plant, they will grow on it.
The algae can grow on anything they find in the tank. The driftwood used in the tank can also become their home.
Algae need space to grow, and it can be decorative used in the tank or the dead java moss; anything can work for them.
Algae use UV light to produce the food, so they do not require java moss plant for survival. If the light condition in the tank is good, they can grow in the tank without any trouble.
Is Dead Java Moss Harmful to Fish?
Dead java moss could become the waste product in the tank as it starts disintegrating in the water. Once the plant becomes part of the water, it may reach the fish’s lungs and may cause damage to their organs.
Hence, you should keep the dead java moss away from the fish tank.
Is Dead Java Moss Harmful to Other Plants?
Dead java moss plant may not affect the other plant growth directly, but as the plant dies, the leaves and stem of the java moss plant start decaying and gets mixed in the water.
The broken substances would become part of the water and produce the waste product in the tank.
These broken leaves and parts would reach the healthy plant and block the photosynthesis process of the plant.
When the plant cannot generate sufficient food, the healthy plant in the tank also starts dying. Also, the dead plant would have a chemical reaction in the water, which could affect the plant’s health.
How to Recover the Dying Java Mosses?
The java moss plant is one of the best companions for the aquarium plant. The dying java moss would require special attention to revive them from the dead.
The java moss is a freshwater plant; when the water in the tank becomes fatal, the plant loses its vital functions and starts dying.
When you notice the color change in the java moss plant, such as turning the leaves to brown color, immediately take action and remove them from the tank.
Put the java moss plant aside to another tank with moderated temperature.
Offer the plant nutrition through fertilizer. Ensure that you use the fertilizer in the liquid form as the java moss plant does not have the roots to consume the fertilizer.
The plant will collect the nutrition from the leaves. As soon as the water condition becomes favorable, the plant will recover from the damage and re-grow.
How to Clean Dead Java Mosses in Tanks?
Start with the trimming. Trim the parts of the java moss which are dead. Remember to remove the broken leaves from the water. Use the toothbrush to clean the surface of the leaves.
Sometimes the algae take place on the leaves, making it difficult to generate food.
Gentle scrubbing would make the leaves clean and help the plant live a healthy life. Change the 25% water every week to allow the freshwater to bring in the nutrition.
Nutrition helps the plant to grow faster and recover from the damage.
Conclusion:
When you encounter a problem with the java moss, you should act immediately. Do not waste time thinking about what to do next. The first thing that you should do is to remove the plant from the tank and clean it.
Clean the plant under the running water. Remove any substance and algae residing on the plant leaves and stem.
After that, put the plant in the moderated water condition to allow it to grow healthy. Brown java moss is not dead until it has life. The plant will re-grow and become green again. So do not lose hope when you see the brown java moss in the tank.
