moss!!!?

ChamsRawesome

New Member
I'm so excited to get my pygmys. I was wondering what are the best type or types of moss that will grow and flourish in the viv and give a great accents?
 
If you have good humidity and mist a couple times a day, Java moss will work great.

Don't forget proper lighting as well. A good grow bulb around 6500k is perfect for plants.
Java moss grows fast in warm wet environments. It can be grown in water or on land if kept wet.
 
Most moss will work, but keep in mind that even though moss grows in the shade outside, it gets a LOT more light in the shade in nature than it does in vivariums with artificial light.

That said, indirect 5000k-6500K LED light (you want something without much heat output) will usually work best. I use a 60W 5500k LED bulb for my 20G vertical tank and I would say it's minimum... More light provides better results as long as it doesn't produce enough heat to burn the moss.

The second factor to consider is that moss does best with an opportunity to dry out between mistings. Also most temperate moss requires a dormant period so it'll look dead for a few months and then revive on its own. Tropical moss usually doesn't require a dormant period so it stays pretty all the time, but requires tropical conditions. Personally, I just find it easier to collect moss from my local area (away from water sources or high concentrations of amphibians) and I clean it with a water and CO2 bath... potentially a diluted bleach spray if it's going in my dart frog tanks. The moss handles it just fine.

Sheet moss, shag moss, java, etc will all work great in the right conditions. Personally, I love fresh sheet moss on branches... you can even use hot glue to hold it in place and it'll keep growing fine if the conditions are right.

Hope this helps!

Boyd
 
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