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Heat/warmth for an emersed moss set-up?

Fox

Member
Joined
29 Oct 2011
Messages
52
Location
near Chesham, Bucks
I've been tinkering with a small moss project for a few months.
Growing Moss Emersed 6 Months In | UK Aquatic Plant Society
I'm seeing increased growth recently after months in the cold on a windowsill in an unheated/neglected building.

Before it 'warmed up' I placed a few mosses that had shown no/little growth onto a small heated propagator. It's nothing too technical, no thermostat just increased the ambient temperature by about 7 degrees (or something like that). These were obviously slower growing mosses, but it does seem they are starting to improve. So I 'know' that heat helps with emersed growing, but to what extent?

I've been thinking about buying a proper thermostatically-controlled fancy-pants heated propagator.
Vitopod Heated Electric Propagators | Ideal for Seeds & Cuttings | Greenhouse Sensation
Obviously it would help me over the colder months, but is there any real benefit to the mosses to be in a heated moist environment? I'm not trying to justify the cost of the item in relation to growth as I'd be better off putting the moss in a co2 system, but that doesn't tick my 'must tinker with it' box.

Anyone use anything similar or any of you clever folk got any science to share?
 
Thanks Hoggie, that's pretty similar to what I have already (although mine is a windowsill version). Thought I'd take a step up to something a bit more fancy. Plus the controllable versions can crank the temp up to 25+.

Equipment aside, was wondering about the science behind warmer air for emersed set-ups (my jam jars/propagators etc all get pretty warm this time of year and even that makes a difference).
 
(Woops, just noticed the age of the thread!) - Any updates on the tank? How did it go?



Almost all mosses enjoy cooler temperatures (15 - 25 seems ideal for almost all of the 50+ tropical mosses I grow).
I find it initially grows fast in warmer conditions but then seems to stall, with poor quality growth (Colour\density etc).
Some of the temperate (emersed) mosses I grow actually require stratification (cold period) every year or two or they yellow up and die.

Personally if it was a scape, I would keep it warmer than the outside air temp as foxfish says - but only enough to keep the humidity high. Also, high light during the emersed period will speed up quality growth, even if it's going to be low tech when flooded.
 
My moss project is currently 'enjoying' a period of zero human interference! I've been so busy with work etc that it's been massively neglected. Just having a tidy up today and some of the mosses are looking very healthy and growing well, others a little sorry for themselves. I've had to trim back the space it takes as a couple of nerdy friends are using the man-cave for several of those bitcoin-computers solving algorithms. These give me 'free' heating (boy they give off some heat) but have put pressure on the space for random tinkering. I did buy one of those Vitopods which are a very cool bit of kit, but I've gone from purpose-built fish-room to propagator-sized project in the space of a year. .
 
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