# Synthetic Moisture Wicking Grow Fabric



## StormieTuesday (May 10, 2017)

Alright. So. I am working on my first big(bigish) build. I am new to this- all the previous ones I have done have been low tech, plant heavy, with minimal construction. I'm trying to make my tanks have a more vertical element to them. 

I've seen Hygrolon and Epiweb referenced in many builds, but am having a very hard time finding it. Do you guys know where I can order some? Is there an alternative to these products that I should look into? 


Thanks so much guys! 


Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## Grimsrude (Apr 6, 2017)

https://www.glassboxtropicals.com/ is the only US source I know of for the two. The also have another synthetic material similar to sphagnum moss - all three are imported from europe. 

I've never used any of them though - and they aren't terribly cheap if you're wanting to cover a background. But then again, nothing in this hobby is terribly cheap haha.


----------



## sulli.gibson (Jun 1, 2017)

What's your plan with the epiweb? I've been working with it for the first time on a recent build of mine and might have some pointers for you.


----------



## TheForSaken (Nov 21, 2016)

Some people rave about the use of spyra, I on the other hand hate it!
I used it in my cork mosaic display instead of using sphagnum moss only because I didn't want the sphagnum moss to revive and muck up my viv.
Moss growth is very good on the cork not so great on the spyra. It makes for a very ugly viv.
Another poster just mentioned a synthetic sphagnum moss, this could be an excellent alternative


----------



## StormieTuesday (May 10, 2017)

sulli.gibson said:


> What's your plan with the epiweb? I've been working with it for the first time on a recent build of mine and might have some pointers for you.


I'm wanting to use it to help make a total green wall. I also just want to play around with it. 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## StormieTuesday (May 10, 2017)

Grimsrude said:


> https://www.glassboxtropicals.com/ is the only US source I know of for the two. The also have another synthetic material similar to sphagnum moss - all three are imported from europe.
> 
> I've never used any of them though - and they aren't terribly cheap if you're wanting to cover a background. But then again, nothing in this hobby is terribly cheap haha.


Yeah no kidding! I found Epiweb on this site , but everything else is out of stock (dang it!). 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## StormieTuesday (May 10, 2017)

TheForSaken said:


> Some people rave about the use of spyra, I on the other hand hate it!
> I used it in my cork mosaic display instead of using sphagnum moss only because I didn't want the sphagnum moss to revive and muck up my viv.
> Moss growth is very good on the cork not so great on the spyra. It makes for a very ugly viv.
> Another poster just mentioned a synthetic sphagnum moss, this could be an excellent alternative


Awesome pictures! Thanks I will look into it! 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## Grimsrude (Apr 6, 2017)

StormieTuesday said:


> Yeah no kidding! I found Epiweb on this site , but everything else is out of stock (dang it!).
> 
> Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


Oh I hadn't noticed they were out of stock - that sucks. I was actually hoping to use some soon as well to test it out. That's a shame. 

It's really the only US reseller I've found for the stuff unfortunately! 

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk


----------



## Grimsrude (Apr 6, 2017)

TheForSaken said:


> Some people rave about the use of spyra, I on the other hand hate it!
> I used it in my cork mosaic display instead of using sphagnum moss only because I didn't want the sphagnum moss to revive and muck up my viv.
> Moss growth is very good on the cork not so great on the spyra. It makes for a very ugly viv.
> Another poster just mentioned a synthetic sphagnum moss, this could be an excellent alternative


What I was referring to was https://www.glassboxtropicals.com/Synthic-s/256.htm

It comes in bags and kinda looks like pipe cleaners but fuzzier. I've never used them, but people in the carnivorous plants hobby love the stuff. 

https://youtu.be/lCcs73-PPtY

Here's a video of the stuff. Pretty hard to find info on it. 

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk


----------



## StormieTuesday (May 10, 2017)

Grimsrude said:


> What I was referring to was https://www.glassboxtropicals.com/Synthic-s/256.htm
> 
> It comes in bags and kinda looks like pipe cleaners but fuzzier. I've never used them, but people in the carnivorous plants hobby love the stuff.
> 
> ...


Oh, I've seen some of that! I'm trying to use it to make a green wall, so I'm not really sure how I would make that work... I will definitely check it out for my carnivorous plants, I have a bunch. 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


----------



## whiteblaze11 (May 23, 2010)

I think glassbox will be getting more hygrolon in a few weeks. Shoot Mike a email on the website he is great guy! I use it in a few of my terrariums and its great


----------



## serial hobbiest (Mar 5, 2017)

You may want to consider the possibility of your frogs getting their little toes and legs tangled in Epiweb. I steered clear of using it for this very reason.


----------



## TheRainforestExhibit (Dec 3, 2018)

StormieTuesday said:


> Alright. So. I am working on my first big(bigish) build. I am new to this- all the previous ones I have done have been low tech, plant heavy, with minimal construction. I'm trying to make my tanks have a more vertical element to them.
> 
> I've seen Hygrolon and Epiweb referenced in many builds, but am having a very hard time finding it. Do you guys know where I can order some? Is there an alternative to these products that I should look into?
> 
> ...


I have used Coco Fiber Panels like Acadian Supply has.
I have also attached mesh to the glass and then used a soil, clay mix.
There are so many different ways to do this, even siliconing cork bark in several levels and then filling with drainage, and then a soil mix.

We are going to be using several methods for The Rainforest Exhibit...go check it out at www.therainforestexhibit.com


----------



## jgragg (Nov 23, 2009)

> I'm wanting to use it to help make a total green wall. I also just want to play around with it.


This is the most important thing to state when asking for help - what is it you are trying to accomplish?

By "total green wall" do you mean just a flat mossy sheet? Or something like in the photos shared by TheForSaken? A highly textured wall of plants, of various sizes colors and textures? (Those pics feature hygrolon BTW, not epiweb - the black flat-but-kinda-nubby stuff is hygrolon. Epiweb is more like a fine-textured dish scrubbie.)



> There are so many different ways to do this


Once we understand "what", we can help with "how". As this person notes - there are many, many "hows" to arrive at your "what".



> even siliconing cork bark in several levels and then filling with drainage, and then a soil mix


This is a (just one) good "how" in my opinion, if you're looking to host more than just mosses.

If you have a selection of bark "flats" you will see some that are truly flat, and others that approach a half-round. The former (flattest) go well high up on a wall, and the latter (most rounded) go well lower down. The former are excellent hosts for e.g. mounted broms and orchids, the latter are excellent prospects for stuffing with rooting substrates ("drainage and soil mix"). These rooting substrates can be synthetic, organic, or a mix. For example you could stick a piece of epiweb at the bottom (just to keep the "dirt" from washing out), stick a piece of hygrolon against the glass, and fill the void with ABG, LFS, "orchid bark", "cactus mix", LECA, pumice, _whatever_. It really depends on the plants you'll be using, and what they need in terms of drainage/water holding capacity, and also nutrition.

Between the cork pieces you can either 1) stuff the gaps with moss, synthic, or even epiweb, 2) just "wallpaper" the gaps with hygrolon, or 3) do both, for a combo of water retention, water wicking, and water drainage. Depends, once again, on what you want growing there, and what it likes/needs.

I understand the appeal of the inorganics/synthetics, and after quite a bit of playing around with them I think I understand their applications and limitations. I will say, probably the best thing _to me_ about synthetics is they don't host fungus gnats. They also don't break down and require replacement. They don't compact. Their performance is more predictable, less variable. All good things. But some people just don't like them. I find plants - like the gnats! ha ha ha - mostly seem to like organics more, in the short term.

I've sort of skipped over part 2 of your "why?" - just to play around with it. This is actually HUGE. By all means, get a little of everything, and play around with it. There's no substitute for experience. Plus, there's no accounting for taste. Some people love this and hate that, or vice versa. Seriously, we can all be right, because we like or don't like different things. And - just as important - we're shooting for different outcomes. Hardly anything used in this hobby is just crap for any application; even the stuff many of us hate is probably the single best thing for certain peculiar applications (which might be exactly what you're after). None of us - not even you, if either you don't have a lot of experience, or you don't know what you're trying to accomplish - can *reliably predict what's gonna work best for you* - only you can figure that out for yourself.

So get after it, and start playing around!

Good luck!


----------



## geoff200 (May 31, 2010)

TheForSaken said:


> Some people rave about the use of spyra, I on the other hand hate it!
> I used it in my cork mosaic display instead of using sphagnum moss only because I didn't want the sphagnum moss to revive and muck up my viv.
> Moss growth is very good on the cork not so great on the spyra. It makes for a very ugly viv.
> Another poster just mentioned a synthetic sphagnum moss, this could be an excellent alternative


Hi TheForSaken. Did you get around to trying Synthic (artificial sphagnum moss) in place of the Spyra/Hygrolon and how did it work out?


----------

