# Moss hygrolon grow



## Simon85 (Dec 11, 2016)

Hello!

I have started a moss grow in december on hygrolon and filter pads. Eventually I would like to 
put some miniature orchid/orchids in there but maybe it's to wet?
Moss should do fine though as I have grown them in self watering pots on hygrolon before.

I use filter pads as a false bottom which is filled to the top as a water reservoir.
The twig you'll see also uses filter padding that is twisted with cable.
The electrical cable has some kind of metal coating on the inside so it sticks in the position you twist it and the ends of the cables are sealed with hot glue.
Then everything is dressed in hygrolon.

Everything is topped with kyoto moss.
The top of twig has some moss spores mix from dusk.se 
I have bought four plants from the aquarium hobby, flame moss, Christmas moss, riccardia chamedryfolia and fissidens splachnobryoides.
There is also some 5-7 wild mosses in there plus a miniature pinguicula species.

As for light I use an exoterra reptiled 10w.
It grows but the red and blue leds look awful.
I have ordered 5 pieces 8.5w 6500 daylight panels that will be hot glued into
the exoterra housing.
These panels have 98+ cri so the plants should look great and the total of 42.5w power should increase growth as well. 
*http://store.yujiintl.com/collectio...roducts/vtc-series-mod-cv?variant=38378636679

There is passive ventilation on the top aquarium glass with a total area of maybe a 6th of the top glass open.
I mist 2-3 times a day by hand.
In the future I might reduce the reservoir and install a misting system.

Anyway will post more pics at a later time when the new lights are installed.


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## Simon85 (Dec 11, 2016)

The background in the last picture is some black paper, I think it will make the green pop a bit more.


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## Simon85 (Dec 11, 2016)

New lights looks much better. Only installed 4 panels but might remake it with one more panel.


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## Simon85 (Dec 11, 2016)

...also started to grow some mosses in the window.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

Are you fertilizing at all? The moss will grow much better if you add trace minerals - perhaps via a misting bottle will a weak mixture of fertilizer. Purified water + hygrolon substrate alone do not offer many nutrients.


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## Simon85 (Dec 11, 2016)

Nope, no fertilization.
I think that will burn them.
Do you fertilize moss?


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## Drteeth (Sep 17, 2016)

I treat my moss the same way as my orchids and spray a weak fertilizer. Moss growth on the hygolon is a slow process and fertilizer definitly boosted it for me. It's growing very well and has even overtaken some of my miniature orchids. There aren't any frogs in the tank so I'm not sure exactly how to do that safely. In the frog tanks I just use forceps to move the frog turds around near the epiphytic plants and moss and it seems to be growing well. I may experiment with something like a diluted compost tea or worm castings tea.


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## Art93 (Mar 19, 2017)

Looks Awesome! I gotta try this


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## therizman2 (Jul 20, 2008)

I like it! Hygrolon and EpiWeb have so many uses!


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## Simon85 (Dec 11, 2016)

Update! The tank should be filled up with moss within 6 months.
Mosses are doing fine. 3 miniature orchids have survived and 2 of them are looking healthy. There are two species of pinguicula and several mosses from the forest are doing fine to.
There is some algae growing but they get covered with moss so don't really care about it. The mosses where dying until I started giving them fertilizer but now they look great.


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## goetzamuel (Nov 25, 2015)

Simon85 said:


> Update! The tank should be filled up with moss within 6 months.
> Mosses are doing fine. 3 miniature orchids have survived and 2 of them are looking healthy. There are two species of pinguicula and several mosses from the forest are doing fine to.
> There is some algae growing but they get covered with moss so don't really care about it. The mosses where dying until I started giving them fertilizer but now they look great.


What kind of fertilizer did you use on the moss? I've read about people using Alaskan fish emulsion(stinky) and Dyna gro, but never specifically on mosses.


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## SoloSK71 (Dec 25, 2018)

A very good one is MaxSea. This is water soluble and used a lot in the carnivorous plant and orchid worlds.

Solo


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## billford (Jan 19, 2009)

i really like the look of your tank.was wondering if moss filled tanks are old school?josh doesn’t even sell live moss for darts anymore.is there a reason why i don’t see more mossfilled vivs?im setting up / doing research for orange terabillis.


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