Material for moss wall other than mesh?

[snail]

I really want to do a moss wall but think the plastic net is ugly. I'd like to start with a fairly small quantity of moss for cost reasons and I don't want to have to look at mesh for two years. I've also seen some people say that the moss tends to have bald spots. As my aquarium is low tech, low light this could be a problem for me.

So basicly I want some thing more natural looking if it shows through. I can have lots of cork bark for free. My tap water is quite hard. My fish are all quite flexible and should have no problem with slightly acid to slightly alcaline but I don't know if adding a fairly large amount of cork would play havoc with the water chemistry.

What do you think of cork? Is there anything else that would work?

[SkipW]

I've never heard of using cork in an aquarium. I think you would have a hard time keeping it from floating. A piece of drift wood might be a better choice.

Most mosses don't require a lot of light, but the better the light and nutrients you have, the faster it will grow out. You'll need to research on the requirements of what type you want to use. But they all should attach very well to any porous material. Some black nylon screening from your hardware store should work well, and you could start small and add to it as it grows out. Or attach the screening to a piece of dark slate so the screen wouldn't be so visible.
How big of a wall where you thinking of? It's going to need some kind of structure to form a "wall".

[Lady Hobbs]

I've heard of gutter netting also being used and it's black so wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

If you do try this, go for the Christmas Moss. Much prettier than java.

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/plants/leong_Moss_Wall.html

[DrNic]

I've seen people use things like cheesecloth or light cotton netting. If you can get the moss growing well enough the cotton fibers eventually corrode away leaving just the moss to hang by itself. It only works with a pretty heavily planted moss mat however.

[Lessersaint]

I agree with lady hobbs, I have some xmas moss and it looks nice. I just can't seem to tie it down well enough to stay so its drifting between stems of other plants.

[snail]

How big of a wall where you thinking of? It's going to need some kind of structure to form a "wall".

Quite big, for the back of a 60 gallon tank.

I had decided against java but all the others are so expensive I'll need to start with a smallish amount and wait for it to grow or it will cost more than the tank! I'd like to use weeping moss I think.

So other than net any ideas?

[Lady Hobbs]

Even the java is expensive as heck. A small golfball size is $7.

[HeatherB]

I would make yourself a screen. Using the same stuff they make window screens with. Wouldn't be too bad expensive and it would kinda disappear into the background.

I also believe they make that needlepoint plastic stuff in other colors. You could use black, and then put some kind of black backgroung (even a trashbag) behind your tank and it would kinda not stick out as much.

[snail]

Even the java is expensive as heck. A small golfball size is $7.

And I used to chuck out handfuls of the stuff ever week with when I did water changes. I didn't have any fresh water tanks on the go for a while so now I have to buy it :scry:

[snail]

[QUOTE=SkipW But they all should attach very well to any porous material.[/QUOTE]

I'm still trying to work out what porous natural material I could use. I read about a guy who did it with cork by sticking it to the back of the aquarium but I'm still worried that cork might soften the water too much or some thing. I know it would be more work than mesh but I'm trying to work out some thing the moss would grow on rather than being held between it.

[SkipW]

I have some (java moss) sitting on top of a piece of clay pot and it's holding on pretty well after only a month of just sitting there. Since you're going to start with just a small amount, maybe attach the moss to the black screen with fishing line and let it grow out over the screen. I would think it would attach itself as it grows out.
I feel an experiment coming on.

[AdrienDeLaChicago]

Awhile ago I won about 7 solid balls of moss for $35 on eBay. They were smaller than a tennis ball but larger than a golf ball. I'd say somewhere in between. They were very good quality.

Anyway, I have 6 gallon tanks and I used the the macrame stuff from Joanne Fabrics. I literally spent hours taking bits of moss and threading through each square. Since you have a 60 gallon tank you want to do you would spend WEEKS to create the same effect.

I got sick of it after awhile but the effect looked quite nice.

[snail]

I used the the macrame stuff from Joanne Fabrics.

Sorry but what is that?


I literally spent hours taking bits of moss and threading through each square. Since you have a 60 gallon tank you want to do you would spend WEEKS to create the same effect.

I am very patient:ssmile:

[AdrienDeLaChicago]

[QUOTE=snail]Sorry but what is that?

I should have been more descriptive. I was referring to the macrame plastic canvas sheets that you can buy. They come in sheets of 8x12 I think. People use yard to sew patterns into them or do creative stuff with it. I cannot find a picture of a sheet but here is a link to show you how some cut out a letter out of the material. Just imagine an entire canvas sheet made of this material. The openings themselves are no more than about 1/8 big from side to side and top to bottom.

http://www.wittywife.com/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=3191&catId=0

[snail]

Ah, yes I see thanks:ssmile:

So you just used one piece and wove it in and out? Is there a reason you chose to do it like that rather that sandwiching the moss between two bits?

[AdrienDeLaChicago]

Now that you mention it, I did start by sandwiching two of the canvas pieces together. I used fishing line to tie the sheets together. I sewed them all along the peripheral edges and then one straight down the middle. What is nice about using this stuff is that you can cut it so easily to make it the size that you need.

I liked it alright but eventually got sick of the look. I like plants better than moss I discovered. :ssmile: