Ice222 Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 I've been noticing some green unknown thing growing in my java moss, and I'm really curious as to what it is. Looks too thin to be a plant and doesn't seem to have leaves, but the way it grows looks kinda like one. It's got a node, with 4 branches coming off of it (think of a hydra but much bigger and green), then from the node there's a longer stem and further along the stem smaller versions of the main thing grow. He's a very scrappy MSpaint pic of what it approximately looks like since I don't have a good camera to take decent photos of it. Evey part of it looks and feels like thin green fishing wire, and seems to grow with one end attached to Java moss and the rest kinda entwined with it. The whole length of one of the ones I found was about 5cm, so the pic above should be more or less the right size although the whole 'plant' has a more even thickness all over, I just made the main 'body' part bolder to stand out. There are no roots either . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasi Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 Where did you get the the Java from? It looks a bit like Nitella sp. That is a pic I got off the net. Not sure what type. There are many different forms and it grows in NZ Streams and lakes. Prefers slow or still waters. It looks like nylon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 Or this, but not enough branches, though. Utricularia exoleta - has 'bladders' that eat things, which you would notice though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 yup, I am guessing Nitella too. They are a genus in the family Characeae (all of which are known as charophytes) and these are probably the last common ancestor between algae and plants. Nitella is a ALGAE!! Hence the lack of roots, leaves or flowers. All Nitella in NZ are native. Even cooler: Every segment/branch is a single cell. Grows fast in high nutrient tanks. I am told it does better in low light than high light. Obviously being native they normally grow in cold water. What temperature is your tank? I would be interested to learn how they go in warmer tanks and if others are growing them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 I have Utricularia as Zev has shown growing in my Xmas moss. Is it harmful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 More of a pain than harmful, just keep picking it out - tweezers are good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 Harmful if you are daphnia-sized. om nom nom nom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 The little bladders have trapdoors and hair triggers, when they are activated they suck in whatever has the misfortune to fit in the gap - then get digested... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice222 Posted June 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 yup, I am guessing Nitella too. They are a genus in the family Characeae (all of which are known as charophytes) and these are probably the last common ancestor between algae and plants. Nitella is a ALGAE!! Hence the lack of roots, leaves or flowers. All Nitella in NZ are native. Even cooler: Every segment/branch is a single cell. Grows fast in high nutrient tanks. I am told it does better in low light than high light. Obviously being native they normally grow in cold water. What temperature is your tank? I would be interested to learn how they go in warmer tanks and if others are growing them Wow this is neat, I've never heard of these before . Got my Java moss from HFF in Roskill, and run both my main tank and QT at 24C. I used to run my tanks a bit warmer at 26C but slowly adjusted them a bit to mimic winter a little, but I've had the Nitella grow back then too. Both my tanks have a brown fluffy algae outbreak right now so I found the Nitella sp. (pretty sure that's the one) when I was chucking the worst of the affected moss out. Oh and the type of Characeae I see don't seem to have the bladders, at least not that I have seen, so would my daphina be safe or still Nitella chow? I have been seeing less cyclops and other small things around my tank lately, but assumed it was just the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted June 29, 2010 Report Share Posted June 29, 2010 Remember if you use any chemical algae killer (which is generally a silly idea, better to treat the cause, not the symptom) it will also kill the nitella. I think an erythromycin treatment for rampant cyanobacteria (bluegreen 'algae') also killed the nitella. (ok so it is an 'algae' killer... :oops: but it really wasn't dying with any other treatments) Characeae are not carnivorous, that is the Utricularia. Your daphnia are safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.