Moss help/experiment!!

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Agent_Scully

AC Oscar Club Member #1
Jul 9, 2008
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Georgia
I want to use some moss in the vivarium I'll be making so I'm doing a bit of an experiment. I harvested some moss from my backyard. (Hey, this is legit! I have variables and everything lol!) I got the same "species" of moss from the same area and put chunks in seperate jars. I already knwo that moss requires high humidity so I sealed the jars with a clear seran wrap so any light I am testing can still get in but humidity will stay high. One jar stays in my unopened closet (testing need for complete shade)
one is the the tank in question which has a 15 watt fluouresent I think, so low light, and the last jar is in a 50 watt smaller tank with my other whites tree frog .

I also did a random jar of a different species put in the shade to see if its results were similar to the other jar not exposed to light

To calm any fears, my family hasn't used outdoor pesticides of fertilizers for several years since I have a baby brother.

I really want moss in my new viv so any contributions would be great!
 

Blueiz

THE TypoQUEEN
Sep 5, 2005
5,668
8
62
NC
This sounds like a cool experiment. My main concern would be bringing a disease or parasite from the outside into an enclosed enviroment.. However the only way to find out is to experiment..;)

To note, java moss will grow in high humidity and will stay close to the ground..
 

Agent_Scully

AC Oscar Club Member #1
Jul 9, 2008
243
0
0
Georgia
Thanks for the input! What kind of parasites and diseases should I look out for?
 

Notophthalmus

I put the 'snork' in 'snorkeling'!
Mar 4, 2008
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Tennessee
Good luck! I've tried various wild mosses in the terrarium, with mixed results. I found a sheet-forming moss with triangular fronds that does well in semi-moist, open terraria with good air flow: you can see it in this toad picture.



If I knew its name I would tell you, but bryology is still a closed book to me.
 

Agent_Scully

AC Oscar Club Member #1
Jul 9, 2008
243
0
0
Georgia
Out of curiosity, I've been hearing that java moss is hard to make terrestrial. WOuld I have more luck with it as a ground cover or with riccia or christmas moss?
 

Notophthalmus

I put the 'snork' in 'snorkeling'!
Mar 4, 2008
1,977
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Tennessee
Riccia doesn't grow real well terrestrially. It'll survive, but doesn't make a good carpet. I haven't tried the other two.

There are a lot of streamside mosses and liverworts you could try that would probably do well.
 

Agent_Scully

AC Oscar Club Member #1
Jul 9, 2008
243
0
0
Georgia
thanks! :)
 

Agent_Scully

AC Oscar Club Member #1
Jul 9, 2008
243
0
0
Georgia
One more quick question :) Does anyone have any suggestions for lighting?
 

nx2ured

AC Members
Dec 25, 2007
188
1
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East TN
I sucessfully use java...doesn't take much light either...you can grow it in your high light fish tank and spread it onto your substrate and it take off!
 

DAVIDFBT

Extinct? Since when?
Feb 3, 2008
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Great Lakes, Illinois
Real Name
Definitely not David
What I did withtmy FBT setup is to take a chunk of moss, cut it up into strands about 1/2" long and spread it evenly around the bottom. It will only grow in moist soil and will creep up along the back if you have a phagnum moss background. You can see how good it looks in my paludarium: (BTW, I only have about 40 watts of fluorescent light over it.)

 
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