Is Spiky Moss Good for Goldfish?

Do you own an aquarium? Does it include Goldfish in it? Are you wanting to introduce Spiky moss into your tank? But are you also worried about how it would thrive alongside your Goldfish?

As many people who maintain aquariums know, sustaining aquatic plants with Goldfish can be quite tiresome! Specially if you’re a beginner in the department of aquariums.

Spiky Moss Good for Goldfish
Spiky Moss Good for Goldfish

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The constant nibbling when hungry, sometimes even after being fed, makes rearing a natural aquatic environment very time-consuming and requires high maintenance!

Spiky moss, (also known as Taxiphyllum Spiky), is a variety of aquatic moss that is quite simple to grow and nurture. With bright green leaves that grow outward and upward, this plant is ideal for thriving and surviving in any aquatic body.

Is Spiky Moss good for Goldfish? (Do Goldfish eat Spiky Moss?)

Your first warning would be that Goldfish will bite into almost anything!

Any form of structure that they encounter, you will most definitely see your Goldfish try to feel the taste of it, and any greenery is no excuse!

This behavior will be the same with Spiky moss. With the spikes growing outward and the gentle sway of the leaves in the water, your bed of Spiky moss creates an eye-catching scenery for any onlooker.

Will my Goldfish die by eating Spiky Moss?

No, they will not.

Since Goldfish are omnivorous and eat both plants and any non-vegetarian food, eating tiny pieces off your Spiky moss plant would not kill them or bring them any harm. However, they could break off large pieces of Spiky moss, which could lead to choking if swallowed as a whole!

Is Goldfish poop harmful to Spiky Moss?

Goldfish excretion contains essential nitrates and CO2 for moss growth. Therefore, it promotes the healthy growth of the moss culture, as the nutrients will be absorbed into the aquatic plants, including Spiky moss.

However, large amounts of Goldfish excretion will not be taken in by the moss, and this can make the aquarium a toxic environment for the fish to live in. So, to maintain this ideal level, regular cleaning of the tank with periodic intervals is important.

Does Spiky moss help with the breeding of Goldfish?

Spiky moss provides any aquarist with an excellent breeding environment. The clustered growth structure of the leaves provides ideal hiding spots for small fish and fish fry. This allows the hatchlings to be safe from other large fish while growing into adulthood.

Do baby Goldfish eat Spiky Moss?

While fully grown Goldfish indulge themselves by nibbling on the leaves of the moss, baby Goldfish do not. This is since the babies are too small to feed on the leaves and would most likely need different food types specific for them.

How to remove dead Spiky Moss from my Goldfish tank?

Cleaning your aquarium in itself is a tedious task. Even more so when you include fish along with a natural environment.

As Spiky moss grows upwards in layers, the leaves at the bottom start to die and decay. When removing such dead sprouts, it’s easier to be done with the help of a pair of tweezers and pruning scissors. These tools are important and a must for any aquarist.

All you need to do is to cut the dying layers using the scissors and then remove the cuttings from the tank using the tweezers. Although you could use your hand in taking the pieces out, it is safer to use the tweezers.

Is dead Spiky Moss bad for Goldfish?

Leaving the dead leaves in the tank can affect the balance in the aquarium. It would affect the types and levels of bacteria and can result in the water turning impure.

Also, since Goldfish nibble at anything they find, it’s highly recommended to remove any dead or dying Spiky moss from the tank as quickly as possible. This way, you can ensure that your Goldfish constantly live in a healthy environment.

Can I use fake Spiky Moss plants in my Goldfish tank?

Yes! Using fake plants in your fish tank will help reduce, or even eliminate the worry of the plants being uprooted and being nibbled on by your Goldfish.

However, the use of fake plants will result with you purifying the tank more often. This is because Goldfish excretion contains toxic materials for the fish, which if left for too long in the tank, will cause the water to be contaminated, making the fish sick.

With the use of natural plants, the toxicity of the excretory substances will be minimized to a considerable extent, as the nutrients will be absorbed by the moss. This will leave you with a longer time period before you next need to clean the aquarium.

Tips to grow Spiky Moss successfully in your Goldfish tank

  • Always securely attach the moss cuttings firmly to the substrate used. This is to make sure that even though your Goldfish nibble on the leaves, it will not cause the plant to detach from its substrate.
  • If your Goldfish show a special liking towards your Spiky moss, make sure to grow it slightly in excess. This way, even though the fish eat parts of the leaves, there still will be enough moss remaining to make sure the cutting grows without dying off.
  • Always feed your Goldfish on time! Yes, this might not sound like the ideal advice, but a full tummy helps to minimize the frequency of nibbling on your Spiky moss. This will help the cutting grow in a healthier way.

How to grow Spiky Moss fast in your fish tank?

Spiky moss is an aquatic plant with a medium to fast rate of growth. This rate although, can be sped up with the use of liquid fertilizers and liquid CO2.

Aquatic plant fertilizers are created in a way to provide the necessary nutrients of nitrates and other minerals in a way that wouldn’t harm the fish. Additionally, liquid CO2 can be provided to make your Spiky moss grow faster.

This combined with positioning the tank in a well lit environment will help speed up the growth of Spiky moss.

How can you decorate your Goldfish tank using Spiky Moss?

Spiky moss looks exquisite when grown either on the aquarium bed or even when placed on a vertical substrate.

With the structure of the moss being layered, growing Spiky moss on a vertical substrate will make the layers and branching more visible, thereby creating a very visually pleasing sight.

Substrates to grow your moss on could be rocks, pieces of wood or any other specific artificial design of your choice. Make sure to choose a heavy substrate that will not be moved about as a result of the Goldfish nibbling.

So, in conclusion…

Spiky moss is one of the easiest types of moss to maintain even if your aquarium includes Goldfish in it!

With just a little maintenance and proper timely care, it will benefit both you and your Goldfish by bringing in a calming sight and providing a healthy home for your Goldfish to grow up in! More About Spiky Moss..

By Uswatta Liyanage

Hello. I'm Uswatta Liyanage from Galle, Sri Lanka. I am the founder of this website. Since my childhood I'm an aqua plant lover and I have professionally learned more about aqua plants. So I created this site for share my knowledge and experience with all of you. Now you can refer my site and feel free to contact me if any inquiry.