# Aquatic moss database and mossarium reference Reviewed 2026-10-14. This is an extensive curated starting database, not a complete global flora or a verified accepted-name checklist. ## Contents - **50 records**: 45 true-moss records and 5 non-moss comparisons. - **38 named moss species records**, including a disputed name, plus unresolved or tentative trade cultures. Named species count includes wetland comparison species and must not be read as the number of fully aquatic species. - **54 source records**, linked through `record_sources` in SQLite and `source_ids` in JSON/CSV. - `catalog.html`: offline searchable, filterable reader. Open directly in a browser; no server, account or network needed except to follow sources. - `mosses.sqlite`: relational database with reference tables, curated views, and empty specimen/observation tables for your own collection. - `mosses.json`: complete dataset, source register, aliases, care profiles and metadata. - `mosses.csv`, `sources.csv`, `aliases.csv`, `care_profiles.csv`: UTF-8 CSV exports for import. Moss CSV contains semicolon-separated source IDs. - `validation.json`: export and database integrity checks. - `images/`: locally stored licensed photographs. `photos.json` and `photos.csv` retain photo provenance and identity caveats; the SQLite `photos` table stores the same links and credits. - `PHOTO_CREDITS.md`: per-entry photographer, source and license information. External reference images require internet access and are not bundled as offline image files. ## Read the evidence correctly **Naturally aquatic** means reviewed material describes underwater growth in nature. **Aquarium-capable amphibious** includes mosses that grow emerged naturally but can remain submerged in cultivation. **Wet margin** includes periodically flooded, splash-zone, fen and spring mosses. These are included to prevent unsuitable underwater choices and to support paludarium-style mossariums. **Terrestrial with submerged culture** is explicitly separate. **Non-moss comparison** covers common shopping and identification confusions. The five non-moss comparisons are Riccia, Riccardia, Monosolenium, Lomariopsis gametophytes and Marimo. Their inclusion does not increase the moss count. Peacock and Stringy are aliases or uncertain identifications, not additional resolved species. Krabi remains a tentative culture. Doormat moss retains the source name with its taxonomic caveat. Species names and general distribution statements follow the cited source. This project does not assert that every older generic combination is the current global consensus. Regional field-guide habitat observations are not complete worldwide ecological tolerances. Cultivation claims refer to the described culture, not every population of a species. Numeric temperature, pH and KH values are copied as factual catalog ranges only where reviewed. Celsius and degrees carbonate hardness are distinct units. **Tolerance is not optimum.** Numeric values are not experimentally verified by this project. Where the catalog’s optimum extends outside its tolerance range (Taiwan, Khao Sok and Flame), optimum fields are deliberately null and the conflict is recorded. Phoenix moss has conflicting difficulty and temperature prose/table statements, preserved in notes. Missing numbers are null in JSON/SQLite and blank in CSV; they never mean zero or unlimited tolerance. Humidity percentages, PAR targets, growth-per-week figures and unsupported exact pH targets are intentionally not invented. `natural_habitat`, `growth_form_and_identification`, source labels and published ranges summarize reviewed references. `mossarium_application_inferred` is a proposed use based on those facts. The 7 shared care profiles are general husbandry synthesis; specialist profiles are **habitat-based trial designs**, not proven protocols. No live cultivation trial was run. Commercial availability is not a current stock check, and conservation/legal status was not comprehensively assessed. ## Practical selection For a humid emerged mossarium, start by investigating reliably identified **Java, Singapore, Taiwan, Christmas or Nano moss** with documented emerged growth. Keep a backup and acclimate a small division. Christmas frond shape and Weeping’s hanging habit may change above water. Fissidens fontanus and Fontinalis hypnoides belong in the submerged portion rather than an assumed emerged dry-start. For a submerged mossarium, choose the **Established aquarium options** filter, then reconcile water parameters and temperature. Java, Singapore and Taiwan are accessible starting subjects. For cooler water, investigate Fontinalis antipyretica, Fissidens fontanus or Leptodictyum riparium. The database does not promise that one setup suits all of them. For a waterfall or stream display, wet-margin and stream categories provide candidates, but true stream specialists need trials. Cinclidotus fontinaloides is expressly unsuitable for Fontinalis-style prolonged immersion. Calcium-rich Palustriella/Cratoneuron environments should not share a generic chemistry prescription with acid-stream Fontinalis squamosa or acidic Sphagnum pools. For a bog mossarium, Sphagnum cuspidatum and Warnstorfia fluitans have aquatic habitat evidence. Sphagnum inundatum is rarely submerged despite its name. Use species-level identification rather than a bag labelled only ‘Sphagnum’. These selections are horticultural inferences from the source records, not a ranking validated through comparative trials. ## Establishment and maintenance 1. Obtain a small legally propagated portion with supplier, scientific/trade name and provenance. Prefer reliable clean cultivated stock over wild collecting. Keep labels even when the name is uncertain. 2. Isolate incoming material in a separate container. Inspect for snails, algae and other hitchhikers. Isolation duration alone cannot certify pest- or pesticide-free stock. Do not apply a universal bleach, peroxide or ‘liquid carbon’ treatment to delicate bryophytes. 3. Choose placement before chemistry: permanently underwater, waterline, continuously wet emerged rock, or saturated bog. Use freshwater and avoid direct sun overheating a sealed vessel. 4. Use a thin layer on suitable hardscape; do not pack moss into rich soil. Most attaching mosses can be restrained with fine thread. Drepanocladus needs mechanical restraint rather than reliance on self-attachment. 5. Start with diffuse light, maintain moisture and allow gas exchange. Increase light gradually if the culture remains clean. A permanently sealed warm jar is not assumed appropriate for stream mosses. 6. Underwater, use gentle circulation, remove detritus and trim excessive growth. Above water, check both drying tips and decaying bases. Avoid leaving thick shaded mats in stagnant water. 7. Record water temperature, pH, KH, placement, dates and visible new growth. Establishment means continued healthy new growth, not merely remaining green for a short period. Keep a separate backup before moving the whole culture. 8. Diagnose algae, browning or stalled growth from measured conditions and species identity. Do not respond by raising fertilizer, light and CO2 simultaneously. The catalog does not establish compatibility with specific animals or chemical treatments. ## Database structure `mosses` holds 37 fields per record. `sources` stores citations and source section locators. `record_sources` is the many-to-many citation link. `aliases` distinguishes true synonyms, ambiguous trade names and misapplied identifications. `care_profiles` stores shared guidance as JSON. `specimens` and `observations` are empty personal collection tables, separate from the researched reference. No personal observation has been fabricated. The flat file retains columns such as `difficulty_source` and `growth_source` as source labels, not an invented standardized rating. Most specialist species lack numerical culture data. Each row records the source review date. ## Example SQL ```sql -- Named moss species records, excluding unresolved trade forms and non-mosses. SELECT scientific_name, water_category FROM named_moss_species ORDER BY scientific_name; -- Established aquarium mosses with published tolerance spanning 22 C. -- This queries tolerance, not a guarantee of optimum conditions. SELECT scientific_name, common_name, ph_min, ph_max FROM aquarium_options WHERE temperature_tolerance_min_c <= 22 AND temperature_tolerance_max_c >= 22; -- Find an ambiguous seller label and inspect its meaning. SELECT m.scientific_name, a.alias, a.relationship FROM aliases a JOIN mosses m USING(record_id) WHERE lower(a.alias) LIKE '%stringy%'; -- Pull sources supporting a record. SELECT s.title, s.url, s.locator FROM sources s JOIN record_sources rs USING(source_id) WHERE rs.record_id = 'M001'; -- Separate the habitat-based experimental subjects. SELECT scientific_name, natural_habitat, mossarium_application_inferred FROM mosses WHERE mossarium_suitability LIKE 'Specialist%'; ``` ## Sources and method The main cultivation reference is Flowgrow’s specialist aquatic-plant database. Natural habitat and identification are grounded in British Bryological Society field-guide and atlas accounts. Akiyama’s 2013 primary publication supports Queen moss identification. Source register URLs point to the specific species page, PDF or publication. Each record links to all citations used for its compiled facts; a source link does not turn inferred mossarium advice into a published experiment. Descriptions are original concise paraphrases, not reproductions of full accounts. ## Photographs All 50 entries have a source-labelled photo. **29 permissively licensed photographs are stored locally** from Wikimedia Commons or observation media indexed by GBIF. The actual image license is checked separately from the occurrence-record license. Author, source, license URL, changes and match limitations are recorded per image. Some photographs use a synonym accepted by the source; that mapping is recorded rather than silently relabelling the image. The other **21 photographs are external reference images**, mostly from Flowgrow’s credited galleries and a few specialist supplier or aquarium trade sources. They load from the original host and require internet access; no reuse license is asserted and their image files are not included in the ZIP. Their photographers or source publishers remain credited. A source link remains available if the host image fails. These external images may change or disappear. Photo attribution does not establish botanical identity. Unresolved trade forms, mixed plantings, and disputed names carry explicit match notes. AI specimen illustrations are available separately from source photographs and are explicitly labelled. Photographs are visual reference, not a substitute for microscopic identification. The package’s text and data do not relicense the photographs; retain each image’s individual license and attribution when reusing licensed files. ## Rebuild Run `python3 build_database.py` from the parent directory. Python standard library only. The script rebuilds the output directory’s named artifacts and database from its curated data modules. Review and update research manually before changing the review date. A full rebuild refuses to overwrite nonempty specimen/observation logs or unknown user tables. Back up and migrate personal additions explicitly; this is a reference-generation script, not a collection-sync tool. `python3 build_animals.py` updates only the animal reference inside the existing database. ## Terrarium animal extension · 2026-10-16 The shared SQLite database now also contains **120 animal entries across 36 groups** and **99 animal references**. Start with [the animal catalog](animals.html) or [the animal guide](ANIMALS_GUIDE.md). Cleanup candidates, dedicated display animals, managed cultures and dry/aquatic habitat comparisons are explicitly separated. This is a selection reference, not a cohabitation recommendation or a complete species care manual. Animal tables: animals, animal_sources, animal_profiles, animal_record_sources. Views: cleanup_crew_candidates, animal_group_counts, dry_habitat_comparisons. Exports: animals.json, animals.csv, animal_sources.csv, animal_profiles.csv. Existing moss records and photographs retain their original scope and credits. ## Plant reference · 2026-10-16 **56 plant records across 12 functional groups** now share the database with mosses and animals. Use [all specimens](index.html), [the plant catalog](plants.html) or [the plant guide](PLANTS_GUIDE.md). Records are selected by functional coverage and evidence, with no target count. Published sizes, uncertainty, group-level evidence and remaining research gaps are retained. No universal animal-safety claims are made. New tables: plants, plant_sources, plant_record_sources, plant_profiles, plant_claims, plant_aliases, plant_coverage. New cross-domain view: reference_catalog. Plant exports are separate from moss/animal exports. Existing source/photos retain their original credits. ## Generated illustrations 23 AI illustrations are linked to their intended entries in `generated_illustrations`. SQLite stores paths, SHA-256 hashes, dimensions, prompts, generation details and identity limits; the image bytes are bundled under `images/ai/`. Keep the database and image files together, or use the portable ZIP. Browse `illustrations.html` for all images and individual prompts. These are unverified illustrations, not reference photographs or identification evidence. Existing photo licenses and credits still apply to the original photographs. No API quality tier or exact generation-model identity was exposed by the built-in tool.