Tropica Fissidens Fontanus

Fissidens fontanus, known as Phoenix Moss or US Fissidens, is an aquatic moss native to North America and widely distributed across temperate freshwater habitats. Its leaf structure is unique among aquatic mosses: each frond has a distinctive flat, two-ranked leaf arrangement with a midrib, giving the moss a flat, feather-like or fern-frond appearance quite different from the tangled mass of Java Moss or the triangular pattern of Christmas Moss.

This structural uniqueness makes Phoenix Moss one of the most visually refined mosses for aquascaping. Its flat fronds with defined structure create an intricate, architectural quality when attached to driftwood or rocks, particularly effective in detailed, close-range aquascape photography.

Phoenix Moss is relatively slow-growing compared to Java Moss or Christmas Moss, but attaches firmly to surfaces and maintains its defined structure well. It tolerates a wide range of water conditions but grows best in cool to moderate temperature water with adequate CO2 and moderate light.

Tropica produces this moss as a tissue culture (in vitro) product for clean, contaminant-free introduction.

Light: Low to medium light (10–35 PAR). Tolerates low light but grows denser and greener with medium light.

CO2: Optional but beneficial. CO2 injection (10–20 mg/L) produces denser, more structured fronds.

Temperature: Prefers cooler water (15–24°C). Less suited to warm tropical tanks above 27°C.

Attachment: Attach to rocks or driftwood using fishing line, dark thread, or aquatic glue. Fronds adhere naturally over 4–8 weeks.

Maintenance: Trim outer growth to maintain defined borders. Remove any detached, floating portions promptly.

Placement: Midground hardscape attachment. Effective covering angular rocks or driftwood branches where the flat fronds can spread.

Water Parameters: pH 6.0–8.0, temperature 15–25°C.