# keeping pillow moss green?



## jdooley195 (Oct 19, 2009)

I've been using pillow moss for over a year now, in several different tanks. I use reptiglo 2.0 bulbs (sometimes also with a 5.0) , temperatures between 65-78 and humidity between 60-80. It never stays green, i love the look of it and want to continue using it, but it just gets so damn ugly after a few weeks...Ive tried soaking it first, planting on top of pete moss, rocks, and coco fiber....it always turns brown...whats the trick?

is there another moss thats stays compacted and green i could use? longer flaky moss gave my frogs problems with choking, when it became loose when they eat a fruit fly off it. thanks, tommy


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

Most mosses dont do so well in vivarium conditions. Their either need different temperatures, a seasonal cycle, or dry periods to thrive. Also when the frogs are fed on them, the calcium dust from the flies kills moss. The mosses that are best adapted to vivarium conditions dont stay in the little clumps like pillow moss, they spread in all directions, even upwards. Leaf litter is more natural looking than a lawn of moss. Have you looked into riccia?


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## jdooley195 (Oct 19, 2009)

you know i havent come across it, seems like it withstands high moisture pretty well. have you had good experiences with it? i worry that the strands can come loose and my frogs will choke while feeding on the flies...will the riccia keep together? thanks for the input


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

A lot of the "terrarium" mosses are hit and miss...but one mistake I think many probably make is not having enough light. As I've started throwing more light on my tanks then I did starting out I've noticed a larger variety of mosses doing well for me. What I do is get as many types as I can and plant them all over, then they kinda find their niches. One likes high light, it grows there, other tolerates lower light it fills out areas to dark for others. The more plants you buy from collectors and stuff the more mosses will pop up. Lowes/homedepot don't have much moss on their plants but by some mounted orchids and other stuff from collectors and you'll have all kinds of moss popping up. 

Anyways if you search "moss" and stuff around here you'll find a lot of info... its not uncommon for people to have trouble with moss until they stumble across the right kinds.


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## jdooley195 (Oct 19, 2009)

thanks for the info dave


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

jdooley195 said:


> thanks for the info dave


No prob, staying away from hard tap water, or not dumping alot of your frog vitamins/calcium on the moss will help it survive also.


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## jdooley195 (Oct 19, 2009)

ya, i the areas that i spread the flies out are definitely worse off than others, but most all is brown. thanks again


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