# Using moss found in the back yard



## theedudenator (Aug 7, 2012)

I pulled a mat of moss from the backyard.
I rinsed it a bunch in RO water - washed all the dirt off.
I planted it yesterday.

Now I am thinking I might have introduced stuff in the tank that I did not want...

Thoughts?


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## DarkElvis (Apr 7, 2013)

Probably. I've seen snails and centipedes in a plant terrarium I built


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## xIslanderx (Dec 8, 2012)

RO water would really not do much as far as removing unwanted pests/pest eggs and other potential harmful things. I would avoid using that moss, and do a search here on DB for folks/sponsors that offer moss that would acclimate much better to a Viv. 



theedudenator said:


> I pulled a mat of moss from the backyard.
> I rinsed it a bunch in RO water - washed all the dirt off.
> I planted it yesterday.
> 
> ...


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

It's quite possible you have. Then again, there is also the possibility you did not. Who knows. For future reference you should to a bleach dip to be safe. Check out this guide:
New England Herpetoculture LLC - Plant Processing & Basic Care


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## bristles (Jan 19, 2011)

introducing anything you find in the wild without sterilizing it is a risk, I've heard that some folks have done it with no harm but sometimes it ends with infestation of pests or pathogens and possibly dead frogs  not worth the risk in my opinion, what with the amazing variety of plants, moss & wood available through vendors on the board. There are also many threads on how people safely prepare wood found outside for viv use.


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## Plantnerd (Dec 9, 2011)

I have introduced mosses from outside afew times.. And only taken the tiniest amout.. Like one single strand of moss with only afew "leaves" and no dirt, roots or anthings like that.. And then thouroly cleaned them and submersed underwater for a few days.. And even then i considered it a risk.

Those tiny strands are now desent sized clumbs today. Just takes abit of patience


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## Toxic (Jul 9, 2012)

Last time i introduced moss from outside, my viv got full of snails. The snails even survived when i put the moss in the blender. Never again.....


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## zreedman (Apr 8, 2006)

One other thing to consider, unless it's a tropical moss, most other mosses need a dormancy period. I did this once and had small snails all throughout my viv. I even caught a snail eating an egg. They are difficult to get rid of. Good Luck.


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## theedudenator (Aug 7, 2012)

So now I guess it is too late?
Lesson learned?

Been in almost a week. Should I remove it?

How can I add moss in the future? A bleach dip?


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## DarkElvis (Apr 7, 2013)

I guess you could gas the tank. Some. Virginia moss seems to take to vivs pretty well, however when I've played with it, it's had hitchers.


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## theedudenator (Aug 7, 2012)

What would I gas it with? Co2?


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## Mantella71 (Oct 7, 2013)

I've collected and used moss from outside dozens of times but waited until it's been freezing cold for a few weeks.If something works for you keep doing it, if it doesn't try something else. Always be careful of slugs and snails, the eggs are little, clear, and round stuck together.


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## BrainBug (Aug 25, 2010)

zreedman said:


> One other thing to consider, unless it's a tropical moss, most other mosses need a dormancy period. I did this once and had small snails all throughout my viv. I even caught a snail eating an egg. They are difficult to get rid of. Good Luck.


Hi zreedman. Could you provide a reference for that statement please? For as long as I have been on dendroboard I have been under that same impression but recently started doing a little more outside research on moss and have not been able to find any reference to temperate mosses needing a dormancy period. So far this has been the most useful info I have found from a source that seems to really know moss: 

How To Grow Moss | Moss and Stone Gardens 

It says that moss is not seasonal and will go dormant when dry but if proper conditions are met they will grow year round. Other sources that focus on terrariums (not vivariums) seem to imply the same thing but say that if the temps are higher and it is very wet that if the dead matter is not pruned off the moss then mold can take over.

Can anyone confirm or debunk that moss that grows in temperate climates needs a dormancy period for long term survival?


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## Spaff (Jan 8, 2011)

Temperate mosses do not need a dormancy period. I've used native species in vivs and on orchid mounts for years, and they just keep growing. I've never had a moss "burn out" due to lack of rest.


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## Charlie Q (Jul 13, 2013)

I have another interesting moss observation. Here in Virginia we have a super nice tightly packed, low growing moss. I took a pinch of it a couple weeks ago and threw it into a repurposed glass Yankee Candle jar on a bed of sphagnum moss. 

I have seen this moss year round and it is always a deep rich green, SUPER low growing and very dense. After a couple weeks getting misted daily, and getting some sun in the glass jar, it started growing like crazy, turned brighter green, taller, and much more spread out and fuzzier. it looks really healthy, but i wouldn't be able to guess it was the same species as when i picked it out of the wild. 

I wonder how many temperate mosses would do much better in a viv than in their natural environment?


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## Trickishleaf (Jun 29, 2012)

All of the moss in this tank is temperate. Scraped clean of all the dirt etc... Down to just the moss, then bleached and washed and rubbed into the cracks of the bark.
It has since exploded and covered most of the tree, as you can see.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## theedudenator (Aug 7, 2012)

It has been below freezing for a week+ when I picked the moss.
Had to brush snow off it.

Maybe this would have killed the snails/bugs??


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