[Moe]

Just thought id share a few links on how to make a moss background. This is usually for aquariums but it may work for dart terrariums; just use java moss or Riccia instead.

http://www.killies.com/Mosswall.htm

http://www.killies.com/MossesFerns.htm

http://www.killies.com/Ronnie%27smosswall.htm

M.N

 

[mbrutger]

My 29 gallon has a moss covered back drop. I used pillow moss and just over a Great Stuff bass. I just used really small nails and pushed them right throught the moss into the foam stuff. If you do it right you can't even see the nails and it it holds up really well.

 

[Guest]

I've been experimenting with Marchantia and Riccia carpus which I got from a botany prof. They do ok under bright light with the drip walls of cocos panels. Just not exactly what I had been hoping for. I think it was one of the Frye's who had the Riccia (moss looking one) in the tanks, and that's what I was hoping to get, but these are much more liverwort looking. I guess they're all nice enough, but I'll keep experimenting.
j

 

[Ryan]

if you ever have extra Marchantia i'd be interested in purchasing some if it grows good. I love how it looks.

Ryan

 

[Guest]

I can give you some, but it really needs more time to grow. I think really strong lighting and constant moisture will be the keys.
j

 

[Ryan]

Would a dual sun bulb work? I have to 24" bubls above a tank, and two 18 inch above aten gal, both are sun bulbs.

Thanks
Ryan

 

[Guest]

I don't claim to be any expert on the, but I have 2 shoplights (4 bulbs) on the tank. I plan on switching to brighter lights when the budget allows, so I'm sure that will help.
J

 

[aaron b]

An idea I plan to try in the future is placing Black Jungle's tropical ground cover moss over cocos panels and seeing if it will survive and grow. With regular mistings, my guess is that it will do very will especially with the extra light it will recieve.

Best Regards,
Aaron Bloch

 

[Ryan]

I;d lean towards javamoss, and just have a dripwall it will grow like crazy.

 

[Scott]

I love this idea. Love it.

I know Ron Gagliardo had something like it at Atlanta Botanical Garden. There's was made with a metal grid that was stuffed with sphagnum moss. It had plants tucked into it in spots. They'd just cut out a small part of the grid and tuck the plants roots into the sphagnum.

I recall the story of how they had to break down the wall. It had grown so thick with plants that they, literally, had to take a portable circular saw and cut it apart.

Can you imagine the type of growth it would take for that to happen?

Pretty cool.

The key (to me anyhow) is finding the right type of material, and the right amount of moisture, to pull this off.

I'll definitely be implementing something like this soon.

s

Just thought id share a few links on how to make a moss background. This is usually for aquariums but it may work for dart terrariums; just use java moss or Riccia instead.

 

[melissa68]

Scott,

You were not kidding when you said it was a cool idea!!! Now I have to think about which tank to do and what would be the best way to secure such a cool back wall.

Do you have any ideas?

Melis

I love this idea. Love it.

I know Ron Gagliardo had something like it at Atlanta Botanical Garden. There's was made with a metal grid that was stuffed with sphagnum moss. It had plants tucked into it in spots. They'd just cut out a small part of the grid and tuck the plants roots into the sphagnum.

I recall the story of how they had to break down the wall. It had grown so thick with plants that they, literally, had to take a portable circular saw and cut it apart.

Can you imagine the type of growth it would take for that to happen?

Pretty cool.

The key (to me anyhow) is finding the right type of material, and the right amount of moisture, to pull this off.

I'll definitely be implementing something like this soon.

s

Just thought id share a few links on how to make a moss background. This is usually for aquariums but it may work for dart terrariums; just use java moss or Riccia instead.

 

[Scott]

I'm leaning towards something with a bit more "structure" than what they were using.

I'm not sure how well the material they used will hold up without water there also. Actually... maybe the same material, but with something else included inbetween the layers to add a bit of rigidity.

I'll likely stuff the entire thing with sphagnum moss and also toss some other mosses and possibly fern spores in there also.

Not quite there yet, but I had been thinking about something along these lines for quite awhile.

s

You were not kidding when you said it was a cool idea!!! Now I have to think about which tank to do and what would be the best way to secure such a cool back wall.

 

[aaron b]

I would think that egg crate would work well. I too hope to do something like this in the future. Wtat you could do with egg crate is put it straight against the back wall and then fill each individual hole with shagnum moss. It would take time, but I think you could hide the egg crate very will with this method, especially once plants started to take root. The only problem I can think of is that moisture would not evenly distribute itself because there are no connections between the grids. In a dart tank though, with such high humidity, this might not be a problem.

Best Regards,
Aaron Bloch

 

[Scott]

Aaron,

Not a bad idea. I had thought about the egg crate for rigidity also.

What if you laid down a good layer of sphagnum first. Then put whatever else you want on top of that. Then put your tightly fitted egg crate right up against the material just laid down and silicone it?

Obviously... this would have to be done horizontally (at first) till the silicone dried.

You could also lay a water line across the top of this to keep the "wall" wet.

s

 

[melissa68]

Have you ever seen the PVC quilting tables/structures? I was thinking something like that. The reptarium screen terrariums uses a similar idea. The fabric is laid over a frame (the pvc) and then another piece of pvc is laid over it which is slightly larger which secures the fabric to the frame.

Here is a link with other sewing frames: http://www.faersc.com/.

Looking at those, I wonder if you could secure the base to the back using silicone & maybe even some expanding foam and then place another piece over that to secure the screen. Sorry, hope I didn't skip too many steps, my mind is working faster than my fingers.

I'm leaning towards something with a bit more "structure" than what they were using.

I'm not sure how well the material they used will hold up without water there also. Actually... maybe the same material, but with something else included inbetween the layers to add a bit of rigidity.

I'll likely stuff the entire thing with sphagnum moss and also toss some other mosses and possibly fern spores in there also.

Not quite there yet, but I had been thinking about something along these lines for quite awhile.

s

You were not kidding when you said it was a cool idea!!! Now I have to think about which tank to do and what would be the best way to secure such a cool back wall.

 

[aaron b]

Scott,

I think that idea would work very well. A water line would probably bring the shagnum moss back to life, especially since it would be so close to the lighting. It would also make a good substrate for just about any other epiphyte.

Do you have any idea what kind of metal was used at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens? I've seen this idea used in the Bronx Zoo before, but I'm not sure if the metal would leach and hurt the frogs.

Best Regards,
Aaron Bloch

 

[Scott]

I'll try to remember to ask Ron when I'm at ABG (mid-July).

My guess would be something coated in rubber, galvanized (not as likely) or stainless steel ($$).

s

 

[Guest]

Try something like the material used for mist netting. You could pack the sphagnum in it and not cut off all the areas for putting plants. I personally am still all for cocos panels though now that I've been using them.
j

 

[jbeetle]

Using a wire mess wall full of moss is used by a lot os zoos, botanical gardens, and can even be found in older terrarium building books. My problem is that it is metal, so like others have mentioned I am concerned about leaching or even rust. But there should be other suitable materials to do this with, and some of the ones you guys/girls are coming up with sound very good.

 

[Guest]

I have a plastic mesh, I bought from the local hard ware store to build a sugar glider cage a long time ago. It is used for silt fences I believe. The mesh is a little bigger than I like, but has pencil sized holes in it.

I will have to find some pics,