The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
Does anyone know what type of moss this is and is it Cham safe?
Mystery Moss?
- Thread starter The Wild One
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snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Looks like spanish moss. Some people use it (I plan to try it). Be aware tho it can break off easily and be ingested. It can also have insects hiding in it that can cause irritation.
I plan to soak mine in distilled water for a few hours and co2 bomb it before introducing it. Probably overkill but Im battling all sorts of plant pests right now and don’t wanna introduce anything else!
I plan to soak mine in distilled water for a few hours and co2 bomb it before introducing it. Probably overkill but Im battling all sorts of plant pests right now and don’t wanna introduce anything else!
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
How do you keep it alive? And can I just soak it in distilled water to de bug it?
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
The moss I’m using is soft and I plan to use it in the background so if it’s ingested I think it’s thin enough to pass through.
Hashtag ChamLife
Avid Member
Agreed. Spanish moss. Common as can be here in Fl. It's an "air plant" more than an actual moss. Just a light misting daily or soak weekly should suffice.
That being said, I'm not sure your climate and area, but be warned. Here in Fl, mites GALORE live in the wild Spanish moss. Soaking it will help, but I'd definitely give it a couple of soaks and rinses as the mites and such hang on pretty well.
It doesn't grow crazy fast, and will grow long before it gets bushy. You can use it for lots of things - I use it in misc. soils and my roach/isopod bins.
Best of luck!
That being said, I'm not sure your climate and area, but be warned. Here in Fl, mites GALORE live in the wild Spanish moss. Soaking it will help, but I'd definitely give it a couple of soaks and rinses as the mites and such hang on pretty well.
It doesn't grow crazy fast, and will grow long before it gets bushy. You can use it for lots of things - I use it in misc. soils and my roach/isopod bins.
Best of luck!
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you! That’s good to know about the mites, do you know if there are any in Livingston TX? I’m in Houston but I’m getting the moss from Livingston.
ZEROPILOT
Avid Member
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh I love the natural stuff. It IMHO makes the enclosure as close as you can get to the wild.
Hashtag ChamLife
Avid Member
I mean... are you getting it out of a tree or from a store? Chances are that it probably has/had some organism living in it. Just thoroughly soak it a few times being sure its completely submerged. Depending on how much debris comes out after the initial soak, you may want to repeat the process.
The Wild One
Chameleon Enthusiast
Off of a tree,
Hashtag ChamLife
Avid Member
That's where I get mine. If I'm using it for random potted plants I don't put as much work into it. When it goes into cages I tend to soak is for 20 minutes at a time. Depending 9n how much and what floats out, I repeat. I also lay it out on my porch to dry in the sun between soaks. If I notice anything crawling, back to the water it goes!
I once got a few spiders living in an enclosure because I didn't get them out in the rinse. I absolutely HATE spiders, so now am more cautious. Otherwise, watch out for the "chiggers" they bite!
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