building a moss wall for a 125 gallon tank

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jaysen

i eat rats like you for breakfast!
Oct 10, 2007
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long island, NY
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first i got the fiber glass screen, measuring tape, plastic clothespins, fishing line (6 lbs test), and the suction cups (airline tubing holders).



i measured the side of my tank as 17.5 inches wide and 21 inches tall (which i doubled to 42 inches). measured and cut it. i cut along the actual mesh line so it was straight.


the finished product

now i used the clothespins to make a seam. i folded the screen in half and added the pins to the corners first. then let it sit a few hours.


once the pins were removed there was a visible seam and thats how i knew until where to place the moss.

i gathered the moss. was quite a bit. had to cut it into small pieces since i was told that it would make it grow evenly.

once cut, i added it to the screen. took over an hour to get it all done



once it is filled i folded the other half over it and sewed the 3 open sides shut with fishing line. it took a long time and hurt my back from leaning over. after i did the sides i sewed a random pattern through the middle to keep the moss in place.

i then used an icepick to open the mesh a little and added the airline holders. the holders went into the suction cups on the other side. i used 9 suction cups.


and the final product. i made sure to dig the bottom into the gravel so no fish get stuck behind it. the rounded end is on top since the open end is burried.



and now we play the waiting game...
 

gvildawg

AC Members
Mar 6, 2007
321
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Greenville, SC
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Impressive project. I hope you'll post some more pics when it really gets up and going for you. I had never even seen or thought of a moss wall until someone at one of my LFS mentioned it to me in passing conversation.
 

mellowvision

Seafood Lover
May 17, 2007
5,099
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Brooklyn NY
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Real Name
Bill Brissette
a while back, a friend told me that if I put moss in a blender with a little egg or soymilk, I could make a paint, that you could paint concrete with and it would grow moss outdoors... I'm wondering if this could apply to moss wall building in the tank, by making a paint, dipping a single layer of screen in the paint, and then starting the growth in an empty, but 100% humid tank... once the moss was 1/8" long, I'd imagine you could fill the tank... just a tought. sorry, I'm rambling.

nice wall!
 

Bk718

No Monkey Business
Nov 29, 2007
7,148
1
60
Brooklyn, NY
a while back, a friend told me that if I put moss in a blender with a little egg or soymilk, I could make a paint, that you could paint concrete with and it would grow moss outdoors... I'm wondering if this could apply to moss wall building in the tank, by making a paint, dipping a single layer of screen in the paint, and then starting the growth in an empty, but 100% humid tank... once the moss was 1/8" long, I'd imagine you could fill the tank... just a tought. sorry, I'm rambling.

nice wall!

lol crazy idea
 

Ajordan

Se?or Member - Get it?
Nov 21, 2006
445
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Massachusetts
I've heard that for terrestrial mosses as well. I don't know much about plant physiology but if aquatic mosses and terrestrial mosses are as similar as I think they might be, why wouldn't it work?

I can't wait to see how this gets along Jaysen. Looking great so far.
 
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