Main Reasons for Dying Taiwan Moss

Taiwan moss plant consists of sturdy nature. They can sustain in a wide range of harsh conditions. Indeed, the plant can also deal with the changing temperature. The unfavorable situation is one of the reasons why the plant will lose its ability to live.

Inadequate nutrition and UV lights could also affect the plant. When the Taiwan moss is having trouble growing, the plant’s color changes.

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As the plant face the dead rocks, it will have trouble growing. No growth means the plant is having trouble running the photosynthesis process. You should check why the plant is not able to produce food. The plant leaves may turn brown, which is a clear indication that the plant is dying.

Dying Taiwan Moss
Dying Taiwan Moss

Change the water condition and adjust the light exposures. Add CO2 to the water to support the faster growth of the Taiwan moss plant. CO2 helps the Taiwan moss to run photosynthesis effectively. More food production would give new life to the Taiwan moss plant.

Why is my Taiwan Moss Dying?

The dying Taiwan moss plant will show the sign of unexpected activities in the aquarium. Below are some reasons why the Taiwan moss could face challenges sustaining in the water.

  • Algae growth around the Taiwan moss plant could affect the growth rate. The Algae growth on the leaves will restrict the plant from absorbing the light from the sources. As a result, it will affect plant growth and hurt their development.
  • Bad water conditions could hurt plant growth. The growth of harmful chemicals such as ammonia could affect the plant. It reduces the ability of the plant to run photosynthesis—less food production results in low growth.
  • Less amount of nutrition and minerals that are necessary for plant growth.
  • Plants are getting eaten by the fish or other species living in the tank. If the fish already eat a significant portion of the plant, then Taiwan moss would have trouble growing in the tank.

Before you conclude anything, observe the effect of the water on the plant. The plant will tell you what is happening in the water if you watch closely.

How can I identify when my Taiwan Moss is dying?

The first indication of the dying Taiwan moss is the slow growth. Later the leaves of the plant start decaying, turning it brown. When the condition becomes hostile to the plant, the plant will not be able to produce enough food.

You can notice the plant that used to grow dense is now having trouble growing. A change of color is a clear sign of the dying plants. It is hard to predict the plant’s status after it starts decaying, but most commonly, it will lose its leaves.

Is Taiwan Moss turning Brown before dying?

Yes. Taiwan moss plant leaves will become brown. As the plant reaches the point where it cannot survive, the plant starts decaying. Slowly the entire plant reaches the point where it cannot grow further and eventually die.

Aquarists are suggested to take immediate action to protect the plants from breaking. As the plant reaches the end of its life, it will give you many signs before they fully die.

It is one of the aquarist plants that can grow from a small piece of the plant. So whatever can be done should be done in time to protect the plant. Move the plant to the new container or tank with fresh water and necessary nutrition. Give it a chance to survive and increase again in the aquarium.

How to protect Taiwan Moss without dying?

Prevention is always better than cure, which is valid for the Taiwan moss plant. Once the plant starts experiencing the harsh condition, it will have trouble growing.

Slowly the plant will decay and experience a significant drop in the growth rate. Without a healthy environment around the Taiwan moss, you will not be able to enjoy the growth.

Protect the Taiwan moss with the following steps and prevent them from dying.

  • Water condition plays a critical role in the growth of the plant. Thus, offering a clean and stable environment would support the plant to stay healthy.
  • A temperature control device should be used in the aquarium to manage the water condition. Water too hot and cold could affect plant growth.
  • Algae growth around the plant is the most common reason for health issues in the plant. When the algae take place on the plant leaves, the plant experience series of problem, one issue will be less food production because algae will occupy a large portion of the plant, making it difficult to produce food. Cleaning algae is the only option to prevent the plant from dying.
  • Taiwan moss could face challenges with the regular nibbling from the fish in the tank. You should protect the plant from getting eaten by the fish. Create a barrier using the mesh or separate the plant for a few days until it grows large enough that it cannot get affected with a little nibble.

Are dead Taiwan Mosses bad for aquarium Tanks?

Yes. The dying Taiwan moss or dead plant leaves will start producing chemicals in the water. When the deal plant leaves interact with the water in the tank, they start producing high amounts of ammonia, CO2, and many other harmful chemicals.

These chemicals could affect the health of the fish in the tank. Thus, when you see the Taiwan moss dead or showing signs of dying, you should immediately treat them. Dead Taiwan moss plants should be removed from the tank to prevent them from decaying in the water.

Is Dead Taiwan Moss harmful to other plants in my aquarium?

Yes. The biggest problem with the dead Taiwan moss is it contaminates the entire water within a few days. The dead Taiwan moss slowly disintegrates in the water, producing harmful chemicals. The chemical could affect the other live plant in the aquarium.

Slowly the different plants and species will start dying. On top of that, the filtration machine would spread the produced chemicals in the entire tank, making it difficult for the fish to breathe. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the deal Taiwan moss plant immediately from the aquarium when discovering it.

How to affect dead Taiwan Moss fish in my aquarium?

The first reaction to the Dead Taiwan moss on the fish would be the water quality change overnight. Slowly the watercolor would change and become cloudy. The plant leaves disintegrate in the water and spread across the tank.

Oxygen levels will go down over time, and fish will no longer have sufficient oxygen in the tank. Suddenly, the pH level will spike, affecting the entire tank.

The temperature would also increase with rising pH levels, and the water becomes lethal for the fish. If you do not take immediate action, the fish will die one by one.

Do fish eat dead Taiwan Moss?

No. The fish probably would avoid eating the dead Taiwan moss plant because the decaying plant releases the chemicals that fish can easily detect in the water. So they try to distance themselves from the dying plant as much as possible.

What happens if fish eat dead Taiwan Mosses?

Fish would not significantly impact even if they ate the dead Taiwan mosses. However, you should not allow the fish to go through these processes. The deal plants are harmful as they will start producing chemicals.

Will algae grow faster if dead Taiwan Mosses remain in my Aquarium tank?

Yes. Live plants only face trouble growing when the water quality drops. Such a situation is ideal for the plant. If the plant dies, the water condition is suitable for the other species and bacteria to grow. Algae would take place in the tank, and soon it will become a dominating player in the tank without the Taiwan moss plant.

Can dead Taiwan Moss come back to life?

Yes. There is a possibility that the Dead Taiwan moss comes back to life even after they have lost a significant amount of ground in the aquarium. The plant would need good quality water, sufficient nutrition, CO2 or minerals to support the faster growth, and most importantly, the plant would require UV light exposure to produce the food. If you can manage these critical factors, the Taiwan moss plant will have new life again.

Remedies to recover the Dying Taiwan Moss?

People will have trouble when their Taiwan moss starts dying. These remedies will help you recover the Dying Taiwan moss plant.

  • Start with the cleaning water. The water plays a vital role in managing the health of the Taiwan moss. As soon as you discover the problem with the plant, immediately perform the water change. The 25% water change every week is necessary to keep the water suitable for plant growth.
  • Next, clean the tank if the water is still cloudy and not recovering from the early damage. Remove the Taiwan moss plant and keep them in a separate container. Clean the tank and Taiwan moss plant before putting it back in the tank.
  • Use the bleach solution to clean the plant and remove algae or bacteria residing on the plant.

How to remove dead Taiwan Mosses from my Aquarium tank?

If the plant is particularly dead, use a trimming tool such as scissors to cut the dead part and separate it. Cutting the dead portion will free up the space for the fresh plant to grow. Alternatively, you can remove the plant from the aquarium and use the bleach solution to eliminate the dead plant.

Conclusion

Dying moss plants would be harmful to the species in the tank. So act immediately and apply the given solutions to protect the fish in the tank. The Taiwan moss plant is more robust than the other live aquarium plants. It just needs sufficient care and necessary resources to grow again green. You can regrow the Taiwan moss plant even if a small portion of it is remaining. Use the recommendation and make your aquarium suitable for the Taiwan moss plant.

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.