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Moss questions.

3K views 29 replies 11 participants last post by  WONTON SALLY 
#1 ·
i have a zoo med cork tile background, and i am wanting to get a moss to cover it up. the tank is a 18x18x24. i am wanting it to cover the back with cork tile and a little on the floor of the tank that has plantation soil,sphagnum moss and oak leaves for the substrate. i will have 2 surinam cobalt's once the tank is a little more established. pics/links would be greatly appreciated.
 
#3 ·
If you can keep it constantly moist at least for a while, I would borrow pinkie-nail sized bits of different mosses from your cousin's tanks, and mush them into the crevices in the cork. Really squash it in so it stays. Crushing it is okay.
It should grow and cover naturally, finding its own microniches.

I find it is easiest to use real tropical moss already proven to thrive in tank conditions. Or purchase from sponsors / vendors. You might also experiment with kyoto moss spores (offered on eBay sometimes)grown flat outside your tank, and then transfer pinches to your vertical walls.

I don't like bringing in 'wildcaught' moss.
 
#7 ·
I to am new to the moss growth.
So far what I learned

Lots of light and obsurdly wet surface (Wood, rock or soil)
Riccia is pillowy
Java is stringy
I just put in some Frogmoss yesterday (package states will come back to life)
T-Rex Frog Moss - Earth - Substrate & Bedding - PetSmart
Ill let you know how that goes.

Tropical moss only native to the US and Canada moss needs dormacy period.

Hope I helped in some way.
 
#9 ·
Riccia is pillowy
Java is stringy
My java is actually growing fairly densely. The frogs seem to mat it down as it grows so it's not getting tall like I've seen in other vivs. I actually like the way that it looks.

I've got riccia in mine as well and I wouldn't say it's pillowy. It reminds me most of fresh-cut grass more than anything.

Let us know how the frog moss works out. I've seen it, but I'm just not super sure that it will actually come back to life...
 
#18 ·
I did once buy and sprinkle Kyoto moss spores (from eBay); and I also got some of Black Jungle's true tropical moss, which they carry sporadically, which was several kinds of moss growing together.
I stuck fingernail-sized bits of it everywhere I hoped it might thrive. And I made sure each bit got wet once a day. Some grew, others didn't.

Mostly over the years, a lot have just kind of popped up. Some may be still growing from my initial inoculations. I'm sure many were transported via soil mixes, from greenhouse pots, from purchased plants, from spores in the air or on wood. (I believe that fungus gnats, millipedes and other little guys spread some spores around too).

You could place a wanted ad in the Marketplace section of this forum, and check classifieds and sponsors. Check bonsai sites; they may have some suggestions for moss. Ebay can be a source too, but read carefully to be sure it has been grown indoors.

While waiting, (and remember moss never hurries) try to get some little viney ficus and peperomia etc, to grow up the back, and create moss-friendly high humidity zones between tiny leaves.

I hugely recommend (to everybody) this not-boring book about moss, and find out what totally cool plants they are:
"Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses"
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Available at Amazon.com and other places.
 
#19 ·
all the above info is greatly appreciated, i did see some flame moss-any experience with that. I'm kinda Leary of moss on ebay, some sellers are only concerned about the money and will tell you want you want to hear to make the sale, unless you have any trusted sellers you use.
 
#26 ·
I bought my moss from BlackJungle. It ran about 10 bucks a zipblock bag and i bought three. My first lid i had for my 60 gallon was 1/3rd screen. After, i replaced it with an all glass lid to have maximum humidity. It is growing and getting greener everyday. So im guessing having good humidity helps out alot.
 
#29 ·
Sally, if you have some roughness to your background try a moss mixture. Blend 50-70% dried shpagnum, then add a bunch of water and 30-50% live tropical/aquatic mosses. Blend it up, cram it into any background crevice you can, then keep it well watered and brightly lit. The sphagnum helps retain moisture, so it can work much better then live moss by itself which sometime dries out to quickly. Also, another good addition to the mixture might be a little peat moss.

I just added a test mixture to my tank about 10 days ago. The surface is now green and has bits of moss popping out everywhere. After seing positive results I pretty much covered every surface that gets a good amount of light and is within reach of the misting nozzles. Looking forward to a carpet of green :)
 
#30 ·
Sally, if you have some roughness to your background try a moss mixture. Blend 50-70% dried shpagnum, then add a bunch of water and 30-50% live tropical/aquatic mosses. Blend it up, cram it into any background crevice you can, then keep it well watered and brightly lit. The sphagnum helps retain moisture, so it can work much better then live moss by itself which sometime dries out to quickly. Also, another good addition to the mixture might be a little peat moss.

I just added a test mixture to my tank about 10 days ago. The surface is now green and has bits of moss popping out everywhere. After seing positive results I pretty much covered every surface that gets a good amount of light and is within reach of the misting nozzles. Looking forward to a carpet of green :)
thanks for the info!!!
 
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