mosswall materials

[stormhawk]

so far i've seen undergravel filter plates, plastic meshes and steel meshes being used to create moss walls. but i'm wondering whether a plastic divider (i'm referring to the grid-type plastic dividers) like those commonly sold in the lfs would be a good material for the moss to grow on. any help would be kindly appreciated. []

[DEA]

the reason why people use those meshes is because meshes provide spaces for the moss to cling onto
if you dig holes into the dividers i think they should be equally good for that purpose

[CK Yeo]

Hey, that's a good idea. At least the thing is transparent and might not trap fish like a wire mesh will.

I am not sure if the moss will stick to the plastic, but I think it is better tie the moss on the it with fish-line, rather than behind it (like you would with a mesh).

ck

[unknown]

how abt those black styrofoam boards that's use fore a rocky effects?? how do u grow moss in them without having to attach a piece of mesh over them??

[griffon]

I read in a web somewhere that you can use staples to attach the moss the the wall. The staples wiil rust away in a few weeks.
Hope this tip helps

[Allen_1971]

I think Amano recommends cotton threads instead of fishing line... reason being that the cotton threads will bio degrade

[timebomb]

I think Amano recommends cotton threads instead of fishing line... reason being that the cotton threads will bio degrade
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I've tried ADA's cotton threads before. The problem with using these threads is that it's so highly degradable they will disintegrate into nothingness even before the moss has taken hold. Although moss don't have roots, they have something known as rhizoids, tiny hair-like root structures that enable them to cling on to driftwood or rocks.

I have always use fishing line to tie moss to driftwood and rocks. For walls, I sandwich the moss between two pieces of plastic mesh. If you use staples or paper clips, they will rust. Some say they provide an additional source of iron but I seriously doubt it works this way. Fishing line has the advantage of not being bio-degradable. They are clearly seen when the moss is new but after the plant has grown some, the strings become invisible. Quite often, when maintaining my tanks, I will take out the driftwoods or rocks where the mosses are growing on and cut away all the strings. I would not recommend using anything with a smooth surface to grow a moss wall as it will be difficult for the rhizoids to get a good grip.

Loh K L

[DEA]

regarding the black rocky styrofoam
staples will work
after a while the staples will rust to nothing
my moss is clinging onto the background on it's own

[unknown]

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On 12/27/2002 3:13:58 PM

regarding the black rocky styrofoam
staples will work
after a while the staples will rust to nothing
my moss is clinging onto the background on it's own
----------------

thanks for all ur comments. regarding the used of staples, won't the rust affect the water conditions and therefore the fishes??

[DEA]

some people say yes, some people say no
i FIND that it doesn't make a difference
YMMV, of course

[vinz]

Have read somewhere... use sharp pointy tweezers and poke strands of moss into styrofoam wall. Never tried it myself.

[eprouve]

I saw in one LFS in Woodlands... they used some kind of netting... looks like a badminton net if you asked me. Dark coloured ones.

[vinz]

Oh yeah, in addition to poking into styro, you can poke into corkbark walls or into the crevices and crannies on the corkbark.

[stormhawk]

timebomb, so you're saying that using the plastic grid dividers might not be feasible cos the rhizoids won't be able to get a grip?

[sherchoo]

I've used staples to attach the moss to the the styro wall. However, when it rusted it did leave behind rust stains which looks quite nasty.