Willow Moss

Fontinalis antipyretica

A large dark moss from cold streams and lakes, with shoots that look like tiny willow branches. One of the few plants that thrives in an unheated tank.

Light: low–high
Difficulty: medium
Temperature: 4 – 26 °C (39 – 79 °F)

Leaf colour: green
Plant type: epiphyte
Growth rate: medium
Tolerates light: low – high
pH: 5 – 7
Carbonate hardness: 0 – 15 °dKH
General hardness: 0 – 30 °dGH
Placement: on stone and wood +2 on stone and wood, spawning plant, nano tank
Propagation: division, daughter plants
Grows emersed: unknown

Appearance

Long trailing shoots covered in small keeled leaves, dark green and slightly translucent. Left to grow, it forms loose curtains rather than a tight cushion.

Keeping

Moderate demands, with one that is unusual: it wants cool water. In a warm tropical tank it thins out and slowly dies back, while in a cold-water aquarium it grows steadily. Light can be dim or bright, and carbon dioxide is not needed. Water movement suits it — in still water it collects debris.

Placement

Tied to wood or stone anywhere in the tank; it is also a classic spawning moss, because eggs fall between the shoots out of reach of the parents. Its size suits nano tanks only if trimmed.

Propagation

By division: pull a clump apart and tie the pieces down separately.

Water conditions match

The water suits 816 of 1249 species in the catalogue — these are the ones people look up most often.

Butterflyfish Julii Corydoras Featherfin Synodontis Red-finned Parotocinclus Gastromyzon monticola Egg-shaped Goldfish Flame Tetra Gardner's Killifish African Tetra Hypsolebias picturatus Common Zacco Labeo Bicolor Gambusia Flying barb Gastromyzon scitulus Albino Zebra Danio Homaloptera bilineata Red-tailed Rasbora Boraras naevus Lampeye Killifish Spotted Raphael Catfish Corydoras melanotaenia Festivum cichlid Pseudomugil paskai

Will eat this plant

These species damage plants, especially when their diet is short of vegetable food.

Bengal Loach Zebra Loach Burmese Border Loach Emperor Botia Marbled Headstander Pellegrin's Leporinus Leporinus striatus False Black Tetra Common Metynnis Mylossoma duriventre Red Whiptail Catfish

Matching water does not mean the fish will leave the plant alone.

The same plant with a different look: light, water and care are shared with the species.

Other varieties: Fontinalis antipyretica var. gigantea, Fontinalis antipyretica var gigantea, Fontinalis antipyretica var gigantea Portion

Scientific and other names, conservation status

Other scientific names: Fontinalis alleni, Fontinalis allenii, Fontinalis androgyna, Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis antipyretica alpestris, Fontinalis antipyretica arvernica, Fontinalis antipyretica cymbifolia, Fontinalis antipyretica gigantea, Fontinalis antipyretica latifolia, Fontinalis antipyretica laxa, Fontinalis antipyretica livonica, Fontinalis antipyretica macrophylla, Fontinalis antipyretica mollissima, Fontinalis antipyretica monensis, Fontinalis antipyretica montana, Fontinalis antipyretica pseudohypnoides, Fontinalis antipyretica robusta, Fontinalis antipyretica stagnalis, Fontinalis antipyretica subsecunda, Fontinalis antipyretica tenuis, Fontinalis antipyretica vulgaris, Fontinalis antipyretica androgyna, Fontinalis antipyretica californica, Fontinalis antipyretica cavifolia, Fontinalis antipyretica dolosa, Fontinalis antipyretica islandica, Fontinalis antipyretica lachenaudii, Fontinalis antipyretica ambigua, Fontinalis antipyretica azorica, Fontinalis antipyretica crassa, Fontinalis antipyretica danubica, Fontinalis antipyretica divergens, Fontinalis antipyretica erythraea, Fontinalis antipyretica laciniata, Fontinalis antipyretica ligurica, Fontinalis antipyretica mollis, Fontinalis antipyretica oreganensis, Fontinalis antipyretica oregonensis, Fontinalis antipyretica patens, Fontinalis antipyretica patula, Fontinalis antipyretica pseudokindbergii, Fontinalis antipyretica pseudosquamosa, Fontinalis antipyretica rigens, Fontinalis antipyretica rufescens, Fontinalis antipyretica yezoana, Fontinalis arvernica, Fontinalis californica, Fontinalis cavifolia, Fontinalis cavifolia rhenana, Fontinalis dolosa, Fontinalis fasciculata danubica, Fontinalis gigantea, Fontinalis gigantea mollis, Fontinalis gothica stagnalis, Fontinalis hypnoides longifolia, Fontinalis islandica, Fontinalis kindbergii dolosa, Fontinalis lachenaudii, Fontinalis laxa, Fontinalis ligurica, Fontinalis livonica, Fontinalis longifolia, Fontinalis minor, Fontinalis mollis, Fontinalis patula, Fontinalis pseudosquamosa, Fontinalis rigens, Fontinalis stagnalis, Fontinalis thulensis, Fontinalis triangularis, Fontinalis trifaria, Fontinalis utahensis, Pilotrichum antipyreticum
Family: Fontinalaceae

Willow Moss

Tank conditions

Care and keeping