Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have some dried moss that I want to put in my tank when I assemble it. Should I soak the moss before I put it in the tank or should I leave it dry? Thanks

Heather
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Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson after.

Hs Kritter Kove

I would personally soak it before placing it in the tank . . . sometimes the dried stuff can have an aversion to rewetting itself. On my newest (smaller, 10 gallon) tank, I decided to mix in some long fiber sphagnum in with my normal mix to see if it makes much difference in the way plants grow. We'll see . . .
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Homer W. Faucett III, esq.
Purveyor of Trivialities and Fine Nonsense

If you keep that moss under good, intense light, you can get it to grow back. It looks extraordinary!!! Mine started to grow on a piece of ghost wood a while back but got shaded out by plants and didn't do so hot from then on. It was a nice size fluffy mass of moss too..shame it died off again. As for the plants, it works great in keeping their roots supplied with moisture and the airiness gives them alot of root space. This is my choise substrate...followed by a layer of semi ground up oak leaves (I break them down into 1" to 2" pieces). The live moss that I grow is now being used on and around wood to give the tank an all around more natural look. Too much moss looks tacky at best.

-Bill J
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Updated list as of: 10/20/03
2.2.3 D. azureus
1.2 D. ventrimaculatus 'yellow' (22 tads in the water)
3.3 D. tinctorius 'cobalt'
0.0.3 D. tinctorius 'patricia'
0.0.1 D. tinctorius 'giant orange'
0.0.1 D. tinctorius 'citronella'
0.0.2 D auratus 'zwartgroene(black)'
0.0.5 D. auratus 'green/black' (tads)
0.0.3 D. imitator 'Alex Sens line' (very soon)
0.0.2 D. reticulatus (soon)