# Putting Moss on Background



## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

I made a background for my vivarium with the Great Stuff - Silicone - Peat Moss method. The peat moss is rather dry and moss can retain moister better. I have lots of moss in my yard, and I also have some sphagnum that I had for orchids. 

*What I'm wondering is, has anyone ever attached moss to the background of their vivarium? If so, how did you do it?* 

_Due to a Great Stuff melting malfunction during the curing process, there are no ledges to put moss on._


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

Will pinning chunks of moss on the background work? If so, what do I use to pin it on?


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## VicSkimmr (Jan 24, 2006)

something pointy, i use toothpicks


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

VicSkimmr said:


> something pointy, i use toothpicks


Does the moss turn brown or will it stay green and will it attach to the background and spread? Also, will springtails live in moss?


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## WaynePaulette (Mar 23, 2011)

Percularis said:


> Does the moss turn brown or will it stay green and will it attach to the background and spread? Also, will springtails live in moss?


Depends on the tank really. As well as the moss. Some tanks can grow all kinds of moss while some tanks kill it. It depends on lighting, water, humidity and LIGHTING lol. Just try things out. Most of this hobby is experimentation.

Try out new stuff, it's fun.

Wayne


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

WaynePaulette said:


> Depends on the tank really. As well as the moss. Some tanks can grow all kinds of moss while some tanks kill it. It depends on lighting, water, humidity and LIGHTING lol. Just try things out. Most of this hobby is experimentation.
> 
> Try out new stuff, it's fun.
> 
> Wayne


The moss I'm using is native. It grows in shade only which means it doesn't need much light. It can survive freezing temperatures with high humidity and 100+ temperatures during droughts. I think I should have no problem growing it, so I'll give it a shot on the background with some toothpicks tomorrow. 

Thanks for all the help everyone!


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

It survives low temps because it has adapted and now requires a rest period. Without it, within a year it will most likely all be dead.

Try only using live tropical/aquatic mosses, then blend in equal parts of dried sphagnum. Paint it on the sections you want, and give it plenty of moisture and light. I have seen some amazing work, especially from orchid growers on epiweb or even terracotta tubes using this moss slurrey technique.


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## WaynePaulette (Mar 23, 2011)

GRIMM said:


> It survives low temps because it has adapted and now requires a rest period. Without it, within a year it will most likely all be dead.
> 
> Try only using live tropical/aquatic mosses, then blend in equal parts of dried sphagnum. Paint it on the sections you want, and give it plenty of moisture and light. I have seen some amazing work, especially from orchid growers on epiweb or even terracotta tubes using this moss slurrey technique.


Agreed. It has a dormancy period which will cause it to want to turn brown and 'die off' a little. This period wont work in a vivarium. It wont be happy and it will look bad once it tries to hit that state. Grimm answered before me... seems to happen a lot.

PS. Grimm... UPDATE?!! 

Wayne


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## FwoGiZ (Jul 8, 2008)

I have tried MANY different types of native moss, and there are a few species that will survive in vivariums, but some will turn brownish and die, but i personally dont mind! it still look very natural!
experiment like wayne said!

you can blend some java moss/fern into a blender then mix with plain yogurt and paint that anywhere.. it will mold, then it will amaze you


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## bshmerlie (Jun 2, 2010)

Yogurt...really....wont it be gooey? Wont the frogs be walking on it?


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

When it turns brown does it decay or rot or disappear? I don't really care it it's brown for a few months, I just don't want anything decaying.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

there are plenty of native mosses that work just fine. Dormancy in temperate mosses is overplayed here. In WA where I live, many mosses are green and lush all year, and its a lack of water in the summer, not cold in winter, that induces dormancy. Moss that doesnt make it will decay, but if you have microfauna in your viv it will disappear quickly


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

frogparty said:


> there are plenty of native mosses that work just fine. Dormancy in temperate mosses is overplayed here. In WA where I live, many mosses are green and lush all year, and its a lack of water in the summer, not cold in winter, that induces dormancy. Moss that doesnt make it will decay, but if you have microfauna in your viv it will disappear quickly


I think mosses would go dormant whenever they feel the need to, because around here you can't tell what the weather is going to be like. Most summers it's warm but not blazing, while others it is blazing. If the vivarium is at an average 70F temperature all year and it is humid, I don't think mosses will go dormant unless they do it annually.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I have a few native star mosses that initially disappeared, but have now come back and do great all year, and have persisted for 4+ years


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## VicSkimmr (Jan 24, 2006)

Percularis said:


> I just don't want anything decaying.


This is unavoidable in a vivarium.


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

VicSkimmr said:


> This is unavoidable in a vivarium.


I meant like I don't want the moss to decay... Sorry, I guess I should type more clearly!


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## Brien (Aug 27, 2009)

I have seen some people have success with taking large quantities of Riccia and putting it in between wire screen and letting it grow out. Here's a similar method using java moss but for an aquariums. 



 . Another thing you will need a wet terrarium for these mosses to grow because they are aquatic.


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## Percularis (Mar 22, 2011)

Brien said:


> Another thing you will need a wet terrarium for these mosses to grow because they are aquatic.


Probably not gonna happen. The species of frog I'm keeping doesn't need lots of humidity or heat, and putting a glass cover over the viv locked the heat in so I used screen. That keeps the temperature at 70F but it also gets rid of a lot of the moiture. If I mist too much the water system will overflow and it'll flood the vivarium. I think I may just use this native moss I was talking about that grows naturally in these condition and see how it goes with going dormant.


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