Christmas moss (Vesicularia montagnei) has been gaining it popularity over the years. Base on my knowledge, it was made well known by aquarium hobbyist in Singapore. Perhaps there are 3 main reasons that it is becoming so popular, and many are taking it as a better alternative to the well-known Java moss:
1. It forms a very neat moss wall (if it is cultivated with a proper setup Moss wire mesh), with the moss forming a Christmas-tree-like shape
2. Christmas moss grows slower, so lesser maintenance effort is required. For Java moss, if you let it grow freely for 3 to 4 weeks in your tank, probably your tank will become unpleasant for your sight. As for Christmas moss, it could stay well intact and neat for at least 7-8 weeks. That’s half the effort to maintain, in short.
Some facts about Christmas moss: Common Name: Christmas Moss, Xmas Moss Scientific Name: Vesicularia montagnei Temperature: 70-80 degrees pH: 5.0-7.5 Light: Low (1.5WPG) to High (3WPG+) Growth: Slow Difficulty: Beginner
Christmas moss could grow beautifully in the aquarium tank with very high lighting, and it could also grow very well in the darkest corner. It is not too demanding over the lighting or pH, but in order for it to grow well, it has to be kept in the soft water.
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