Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'd really like to have some live moss on driftwood and/or cork-bark in some of my tanks.

I tried this about a year ago, but the moss and cork kept getting moldy (greenish-white powdery-looking mold, if you're interested). In a wet and humid environment like newt tanks, I'm not at all surprised. I used to take my cork-bark out once a week and rinse it in VERY hot water, let it cool, then put it back in the tank - but this disturbed the moss as well as the newts, and it was tedious, and so I eventually scrapped the whole thing.

How do you get rid of mold on structures like this, without hurting the newts?

I don't have an answer for the mold problem. I've had cork bark in some of my tanks for years and never had it get moldy. I use screen lids, so maybe the ventilation helps. Boiling it is fine, though it would be a drag to have to do that frequently.

One thing I would recommend it to get some java moss. This stuff will grow on and over cork bark, drift wood, and even plastic ornaments. It grows both in and out of the water, as long as it's a very wet place. In the water, it grows in a disorganized tangle that newts love (tho some people might not like the look of it).