About the species

Leptodictyum riparium is a slender, upright moss often sold under the name stringy moss. Its colour is an intense, slightly translucent green, and the species is found across most of the world even though it is thought to have originated in Europe. It tolerates both high and low temperatures, grows readily and fast, and attaches by itself to stone and roots.

Facts

• Latin name: Leptodictyum riparium
• Plant type: Moss
• Origin: Widespread worldwide
• Height: 3–10 cm
• Growth rate: Medium
• Position: Wood and stone

Light requirement

Low light requirement. It manages with the lighting that comes with most aquariums and is happy in partial shade behind or beneath taller plants. Strong lighting does not harm it, but raises the risk of algae on the leaves because the plant cannot use all the available light.

CO₂ & nutrition

Manages entirely without added CO₂, which makes it as suitable for a simple aquarium as for an aquascape. Liquid carbon or injected CO₂ speeds up growth but is never a requirement. Dose an all-round fertiliser with iron and micronutrients every week.

Planting

Moss should never be planted in the substrate. Spread it in a thin layer over a piece of wood or a stone and secure it with thread, mesh or a few drops of plant glue. A thin layer knits together far more attractively than a thick clump, which easily rots from beneath.

Rinse the portion gently in aquarium water and divide it between several spots — it then covers a considerably larger area than if everything is tied down in one place.

Care & propagation

Trim the moss with scissors a few times a year and it holds its shape and grows denser instead of getting long and straggly. Pieces that come loose can be tied onto the next stone — that is all there is to propagating it. Siphon out debris that collects in the moss when you change water.

Position in the aquarium

It grows on hardscape rather than in the substrate, so it can be placed anywhere in the aquarium — on a piece of wood, a stone or a back wall. That makes it as useful in the foreground as high up in the layout.

Difficulty level

🟢 Easy — grows in most aquariums without CO₂ and under ordinary lighting.

Delivery format

Delivered as a portion of roughly one decilitre from our own cultivation. Because it is grown in our own aquariums it is used to the same conditions it is going to, and it has never been in contact with pesticides.

Recommendation

An obvious moss for shrimp tanks and nano aquariums, where the fine shoots become both hiding place and grazing ground for the young. It grows considerably faster than Java moss, so expect to shape it a few extra times a year.