java moss coconut cave

[budrecki]

It's time to give this a try. I saw them list on an auction site for $19.99!@#?

Searching the web I've found instruction as follows

Java Moss can be grown as a tight "lawn" covering a coconut shell. Prepare the coconut shell by covering it with boiling water and steeping it overnight to leach out some of the tannins. Now get a large enough glass bowl, under which the coconut shell can stand without touching the sides, and a glass plate for it to stand on. With a scissors, snip half-inch snippets of Java Moss and let them fall all over the coconut shell. A light spritz from a mister will settle the sprigs flat against the coconut fibers. Pour half an inch of water into the bottom of the plate and cover it with the glass bowl. Then set this mini-terrarium that you've created into a brightly lit north window, where it doesn't get direct sun. In the bright humid atmosphere, the moss will revert to its denser, ground-hugging terrestrial style. If the moss gets to looking dry, I spritz it. In a very few weeks, when light green growing points show all over the moss, you'll know the moss has taken hold of the coconut fibers. Give it a gentle rinse to dislodge any snippets that didn't take, and put the greened-up coconut shell into your aquarium. You can pull it out again once every six weeks or so, to clip the "lawn" very close with the flat of the scissor blades.

Has anyone tried this before?

[kveeti]

No, haven't tried it that way..... I'm currently trying to grow java moss on a coconut while in the tank. It's pretty patchy looking. Sounds like those instructions might work better to get even coverage.

[budrecki]

"Planted" the coconut yesterday, I'll keep you posted.

[Roan Art]

I've made several using those same instructions :)

Two huts for my Goo obos and two huts for my clown loaches.

Works great!

Roan

[kveeti]

Roan, do you think the same technique would work for driftwood? (very small ones for my 10 and 5 gallons) I think I might try it, beats tying.

[Roan Art]

Roan, do you think the same technique would work for driftwood? (very small ones for my 10 and 5 gallons) I think I might try it, beats tying.
Yep. So long as you can get it under glass to keep the moisture in it should work for just about anything.

Reminds me that I have a coconut waiting to be eaten and then mossed :)

Roan

[kveeti]

Reminds me that I have a coconut waiting to be eaten and then mossed :)
Roan

That stuff right out of the shell is wicked. It's hard as a rock (or did I have a bad coconut?)

[Roan Art]

That stuff right out of the shell is wicked. It's hard as a rock (or did I have a bad coconut?)
It can be hard, yah. I use a potato peeler and shave it in strips and we eat it that way :)

I hate dry coconut. Best right out of the shell!

Roan

[Larissa]

I love fresh coconut. It sure beats that sweetened, shredded stuff. I'm going to have to try this. I wonder if you could do that with riccia too?

[Bk828]

going to try that this week..

will try and overboil the shell since my tank water is already brownish from the driftwood..

will update soon

[Ajordan]

what a great idea! Also, Roan, that is one good lookin' gudgeon there.

[Bk828]

:uhoh: brought back a topic thats 1+ yrs old :uhoh:

[Bk828]

okay got a coconut today..
1- used a nail to puncture the coconut to drain it
2- used a saw to cut it in half (mine wasnt scored)
3- took out the insides with a fork (was pretty easy)
4- boiled the shells 3 times (20 min each) to get rid of the tannis.. did it until the water was somewhat clear.. before the 3rd boiling i dried the shells with a paper towel and took sandpaper and sanded down the tops slightly (this got rid of the hairs and made it somewhat smooth)
5- letting the coconuts stay in the water they were boiled in overnight

Future step
1- add the java moss to the shell(s)



(i might try and have one shell done by the method of having it outside the tank.. and the other shell, having it inside the tank with the java moss.. will see which one has better/faster results)

[FishyFry]

anyone have a pic of how it looks?

[Bk828]

heres an image i found on one website..
the person just dropped the moss on top.. he didnt do it with the keeping the shell/moss under a bowl for weeks..

http://www.aquariumlife.net/images/coconut-cave-12.jpg

wont believe how much money you save..
1 coconut $1
nice patch of java moss $2
Final cost $3..

or you can always be a lazy bum and order one online HERE (http://www.aquariumgarden.com/index.php?doc_base=plant_info.php&plantid=dw074)

[Que]

Holy S... they get $20 for one and you can make 1 for $3! Nice.

Q

[Bk828]

yea well realized that the method of just throwing some moss on the shell while it in the tank doesnt really work especially if you have some good water movement in the tank, mine just got scattered everywhere.. so for now I will still continue doing one of the shells outside the tank.. and will leave one in the tank without any moss.. The shell alone is still loved by all the fish in my tank.. Pleco, cherry barbs and corys take turn being in it
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/5761/1020071vk7.th.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1020071vk7.jpg)http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8674/1020095mj4.th.jpg (http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1020095mj4.jpg)http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/61/1020107fi7.th.jpg (http://img132.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1020107fi7.jpg)

[FishyFry]

nice pics. love that plec.

[Que]

Why not try using thread or fishing line to hold some moss down on the shell? That's what I did to get it started on my driftwood.

Q

[Mgamer20o0]

$20 and sold out.... hold on i am coming..... ill make 100 of these up in no time.....

[andi872]

omg this is great I'll have to make me one

[Bk828]

$20 and sold out.... hold on i am coming..... ill make 100 of these up in no time.....

actually takes longer than i thought to make.. well to "make" it only takes 5 min but for the moss to actually anchor and grow on the shell, that takes a bit of time.. mine been standing there for almost a week now, i occasionally spritz it with some water so it wont dry out.. but i dont know i tried pulling a small piece and it just came off without a problem.. In the process im thinking of maybe doing the whole bowl thing but every 3-4 days putting the actual shell/moss under an aquarium light and letting it stay that way for a day.. then covering it up again with a bowl..

[malken]

what if you lowered the water jevel a bit, bput the coconut in a tuperware and floated it in the tank with the java moss on it, either with water or thread?

I've never done it before but it seems like it might be a good idea, theres ample light and moisture for the moss to take off pretty well I would think.

Just a thought

[Bk828]

i dont know correct me if im wrong but this is how i did it (photoshop version)


http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/8947/coco1fs8.th.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coco1fs8.jpg)
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/9919/coco2ys0.th.jpg (http://img222.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coco2ys0.jpg)

put it in a warm/humid environment (i put it not 2 far from my radiator)

was this how the original instructions intended for it to be??

The way i want to try it is actually

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/285/coco3gq2.th.jpg (http://img146.imageshack.us/my.php?image=coco3gq2.jpg)


and the final product should be like this
http://www.tropical-aquarium-plants.co.uk/images/coconut.jpg

[Bk828]

okay so today after spritzing the moss i decided to just add it to the tank and see how it does there.. Hey what do you know.. the moss actually stuck. (few pieced floated away but majority stuck)
Here are a few pictures
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/2734/1020227yf7.th.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1020227yf7.jpg)http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/2872/1020232ko7.th.jpg (http://img505.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1020232ko7.jpg)
Molly fry enjoying the coconut
http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/139/1020237hg8.th.jpg (http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1020237hg8.jpg)

The coconut looks just "okay" i didnt have alot of moss so i just used what i had.. (in the 2nd picture you actually see a bunch that ive been growing now for about week and a half..)
I will leave the coconut in the tank for another week. Then what i will probably do is take it out and do the plate/bowl thing again. But this time instead of using big chunks of the moss i will cut it into half inch strips and apply them on the coconut that way more of the surface will be covered..

[lovemybarbs]

That looks great!

[Mgamer20o0]

i would just use fish line and not worry about it.....