Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how to grow moss and keep it alive is all i need.
ThX

Growing I have no idea, but I would love to know how... As for keeping it alive, I have had good luck with pillow moss on gravel. I am just trying my first java moss, and will let you know.
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Kyle
www.kylesphotos.com
Dart Links - still a work in progress
1.2.0 D. leucomelas
1.1.0 D. azureus
1.0.1 D. imitators

If you are just starting out, I would recommend you use Java Moss. You can buy it at some aquarium stores as an aquarium plant. Set up a water feature and put it in an area that is constantly wet, spread it out thin, give it good light and high humidity, and watch it take over. It will eventually make a nice bright green carpet that can get up to 2-3" thick. When it's happy, it will put out spores and spread everywhere. So, if you were wanting to keep it out of certain areas of your tank, this isn't what you want. However, if you're looking for an easy, nice looking groundcover of mossy substance, this is the stuff you want.

Plus, you don't have to worry about bringing in unwanted pathogens and parasites on Java like you do with the pillow moss that is often wild collected. I even soak my Java in a 20% bleach solution for 15-30 minutes, and rinse several times over the course of 6 hours before transferring it from one tank to another. It doesn't set it back at all. Tough as nails. Just water and lots of light.
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Homer W. Faucett III, esq.
Purveyor of Trivialities and Fine Nonsense

Per Homer, who is my moss guru, I put Java moss in my paludarium. It not only grows underwater in the aquarium section to protect new born platys, but has climbed the submerged logs onto land sections where the frogs live. Pillow moss only grows where it wants to grow, which is seldom where I planted it in the first place. Java also grows in the "pond" in my bow tank and has climbed up the plastic tubing on the pump to hide it. Go Java!
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
3 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
4 D. leukomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus pending

I'll be the third voice for Java moss. It has all the benefits previously mentioned, plus, it looks more natural.
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David Knight
Tempe, AZ

3.0.1 D. imitator
3.2 D. leucomelas
1.2.1 P. terribilis (mint)
0.0.2 D. azureus
0.0.1 D. tinctorius (Alanis)
0.1 D. tinctorius (Brazilian cobalt)
0.0.4 D. auratus (Panamanian green and bronze)
1.1 M. madagascariensis
1.0 P. hypochondrialis

www.frognet.org/gallery/davidknight

Hey I just started A new tank;I am using java moss and ricca for ground cover. I'm interested if anyone out there has pics of it in their tank. On a recent trip to the Balt. aquarium I noticed that they used it in conjunction with salengia in one of their tanks. IT LOOKED GREAT! It was actually growing so thickly that the material they used to line the sides with was being weighed down on the front right side (It looked like landscaping cloth of something). Anyway It must have been 2 or three inches thick in some places. The only thing I wonder is how long it took to grow that thickly.

-Adam

Here's the pic of the tank I cant wait for it to be all green.

Hello,

I was just looking at your Vivarium, (Very Nice!) and thought
you would be interested in my Vivarium Group. See the link Below.

There is a wealth of information on the website including extensive Files, Links and a photo’s sections. It would be great if you could post pics of your vivarium in the group files - and share this with the group!

I think you’d fit right in by the looks of your vivarium, and would be a great resource as well. Anyway- I just wanted extend a personal invitation to you.

Joseph
Group Moderator.
The Naturalistic Vivarium

Is that your viv on the intro page? if it is I saw it on Wildsky's site and have admired it for some time!

-Adam