Looking for a moss that stays neat instead of going stringy? Phoenix Moss is it. Deep dark green fronds grow in tight, feathery fans that hug whatever you attach them to — slow, compact, and far tidier than Java Moss, which is exactly why aquascapers pay more for it.
What You’ll Receive
- Dark Green Moss
- Sold as a small portion, loose moss
- Approx. 2" x 2" / 5cm x 5cm in size
- Perfect to attach to driftwood, rock, or stone
Plant Profile
- Common name — Phoenix Moss, US Fissidens
- Scientific name — Fissidens fontanus
- Color — Dark green
- Placement — Foreground to midground, on wood or stone
- Mature height — 1–2 in
- Growth rate — Slow
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner to keep, though slow to establish
- Light — Low to medium. Bright light invites algae it cannot outgrow
- CO₂ — Not required! But CO₂ with cooler water brings out a noticeably greener, denser growth
- Water — 68–82°F · pH 6.0–7.5; cooler is better for color
- Feeding — Water column
- Growth habit — Fully aquatic. This moss cannot be grown emersed
- Propagation — Fragmentation; every piece grows into a new fan
Grower’s Notes
- It must stay submerged. Unlike most mosses we sell, Fissidens fontanus has no emersed form — it is not suited to wabi-kusa, paludariums or dry start, and will not survive out of water.
- CO₂ and cooler water are what make it green. Without them it still grows perfectly well, just darker and slower — the vivid green in aquascaping photos comes from injected tanks running on the cool side.
- Tie it on in a thin, even layer. Phoenix Moss grows slowly, so a thick pad shades and rots underneath long before the top fills in.
- Flow matters more than light. The fine fronds trap detritus in still water — gentle current keeps them clean.
- Be patient. It attaches and spreads far slower than Java Moss, taking a couple of months to knit onto hardscape. That slowness is why it holds its shape.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Aquarium Moss Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference. Portion shape, density and color vary with growing conditions.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
-
Weather conditions
-
Livestock health
-
Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
-
Alaska
-
Hawaii
-
Puerto Rico
-
Guam
-
U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
-
Weather conditions
-
Carrier delays
-
High shipping volumes
-
Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
-
Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
-
The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
-
Credit / Debit Card
-
PayPal
-
Apple Pay
-
Google Pay
-
Amazon Pay
-
Shopify Pay
-
AliPay
Orders returned due to:
-
Incorrect address
-
Refused delivery
-
Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
-
Live plants
-
Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
Customers praised the generous portions and healthy moss that arrived well-packaged. Many noted it "feathers out" beautifully in tanks. However, some reported unwanted hitchhikers like bladderwort and carnivorous plants that spread in shrimp tanks. A few received brown or dead moss requiring regrowth. Overall valued for quality and quantity.
- It feathers out and almost turns into a puff ball
- Got sent ample amounts of a healthy, gorgeous moss
- They give generous amounts and nicely packaged
J
At first the plants looked good. They were packaged well. But now I notice some bladderwort growing in the moss. Was planning on keeping shrimp in this tank so kind of annoyed it came with it. Also there was some suwassertangs with the fissiden moss that I also was not expecting nor really wanted. Might have to reconsider buying from here again.
C
not sure it came from the fontanus, but some of the moss I got here came infested with a very difficult-to-remove carnivorous specimen, which I unfortunately took too long to identify as its not for sale on the site, and it spread through my shrimp species tank. This stuff is very tricky to remove once it gets a foothold, so look over your moss purchase carefully - its a very bright green filamentous vining habit with small fruiting cups that have tentacles to capture small invertibrates etc
M
Arrived good and healthy
A
It’s green, healthy moss. One pack is a lot - more than enough to moss up all my rocks for the new tank I was building.
K
Good quantity, healthy moss. Currently thriving in my new tank
J
moss
B
When my product arrived I thought it was melted because the appearance in the bag is a super dark green blob. However once in the tank the transformation is awesome. It feathers out and almost turns into a puff ball. This moss is nothing like Java Moss and would I think it looks more like Marimo moss ball. Keep in mind because it is so feathery it will make a mess if disturbed frequently. Mixing this moss with Christmas moss creates a really cool textured effect.
D
Phoenix Moss (Fissidens Fontanus)
M
Arrived as promised, good quality and doing well. Would order again!
L
Arrived looking healthy and green. Fills in the spaces between the rocks in my tank very well. Very happy with how it looks.
J
The moss looked a bit dark on arrival but perked up within a day or two. Good sized amount for the price. Great purchase!
P
Got sent ample amounts of a healthy, gorgeous moss. Get some phoenix moss!
C
The blob I received was a reasonably large portion, but it arrived almost entirely dead. It meant I glued a bunch of dead (or nearly dead) moss to my aquarium wood.
After a few weeks it's started to put out a few tiny bits of new live tissue -- out on the edges of the dead stuff. So I'm unsure what to do. It's been a bit of a mess.
M
Arrived alive and healthy with a good amount of the moss in a nice little baggie. My shrimp love it
L
Came in great and growing
D
They arrived earlier than expected and were in great condition. Extremely pleased with my purchase.
D
Phoenix Moss (Fissidens Fontanus)
J
Fronds way smaller than expected. Clumped and tangled together, hard to work with. A generous portion, more than expected.They are healthy looking and hoping they will grow and spread.
J
I received a very generous amount of moss and each portion was healthy. It also arrived fairly quickly in good packaging. Always love getting plants from here!
M
I like ordering plants during spring and fall when temperatures are less likely to be extreme. My portions of moss arrived wrapped in foil without any brown die-off. I thought the portions were generous. (I actually bought way more than I needed.) The strands of moss were adequately long, and not finely chopped trimmings.
J
Super healthy plants.
M
Good plants, healthy, packaged well. Decent price for this style of moss and pest free
Q
Amazing. They give generous amounts and nicely packaged. These guys started to take to their new water conditions within the week and grew beautiful new bright green leaves right after.
J
I hope mine is ok. Got 3 bunches, but they seem to be taking longer then everything else I got to acclimate. Only time will tell.
W
Great size portion, healthy green leaves, adjusted well
A
Shrimp heaven
A
The moss I got was pretty much brown and falling apart. Tried to keep clumps together while attaching to wood but lots of dead strands breaking off. It’s been about a week and some new growth but most is still brown.
K
Excellently packaged, nicely portioned, and came all very healthy. I used some cotton thread to attach it to a figurine in my tank, and the nano shrimp LOVE to graze on it!
J
Does it really need/require CO2?
CO2 is recommended for this species. They will still live without it, but the color will be even darker green.
W
May I see how many ill get for 1 order? How big is the portion? Im looking to buy a lot and just want to make sure.
Thanks
Please see picture #2. They are approx. 2" x 2" / 5cm x 5cm in size
Recommended for You
Frequently Asked Questions
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
!
