ghostsword
Member
I have spare moss and I am thinking about using it as substrate for HC or UG, on a floating island above the java fern, to provide some shade.
Has any one tried it before?
Has any one tried it before?
-
You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up
Using moss as substrate for floating island
- Thread starter ghostsword
- Start date
when I had my moss wall I had glosso growing emerged just on top of the moss wall, so I don't see why not.
All you have to remember though is that moss doesn't float, it will sink to the bottom of the tank, so you will need something to keep it at the surface.
All you have to remember though is that moss doesn't float, it will sink to the bottom of the tank, so you will need something to keep it at the surface.
Ditto what Paulo says. Moss is viable as a planting surface. Another thing to bear in mind is that if you have dense moss with no flow through it eventually the lower lays will rot.
On a related note...
Some people who grow crypts emersed use moss as the planting medium.
I found better results with compost or akadama myself.
I did find that moss across the surface of the planting medium helped prevent mould
(I'm told this is due to the low ph, whatever it is due to, it worked
).
On a related note...
Some people who grow crypts emersed use moss as the planting medium.
I found better results with compost or akadama myself.
I did find that moss across the surface of the planting medium helped prevent mould
(I'm told this is due to the low ph, whatever it is due to, it worked
).
ghostsword
Member
Many thanks.
I bought a couple of meters of plastic net and I got closed cell foam, so I would like to build some rafters, maybe with a sandwich of rockwool and moss, then I would plant HC and/or UG on top. It would be no more than 2cm thick.
I will keep in mind that moss would rot on the mid to bottom layers, maybe I can use some other fibber for it.
I bought a couple of meters of plastic net and I got closed cell foam, so I would like to build some rafters, maybe with a sandwich of rockwool and moss, then I would plant HC and/or UG on top. It would be no more than 2cm thick.
I will keep in mind that moss would rot on the mid to bottom layers, maybe I can use some other fibber for it.
Hi all,
Definitely a runner, all sorts of plants grow really well on the top of Hamburg Matten Filters, I would thing that both HC and UG would grow very well. For UG I'd try to get some sphagnum moss (ideally growing) before I planted it in the moss layer. PM if you want some.
cheers Darrel
Definitely a runner, all sorts of plants grow really well on the top of Hamburg Matten Filters, I would thing that both HC and UG would grow very well. For UG I'd try to get some sphagnum moss (ideally growing) before I planted it in the moss layer. PM if you want some.
cheers Darrel
ghostsword
Member
Thanks Darrel...
On that train of though.. What about Hanging Basket Liners? Would they rot on the water? The plants would root on it, right?
Sphagnum moss would probably rot on the water, not sure how it would take to being submerged for that long.
On that train of though.. What about Hanging Basket Liners? Would they rot on the water? The plants would root on it, right?
Sphagnum moss would probably rot on the water, not sure how it would take to being submerged for that long.
Hi all,
I tried the coconut coir hanging basket liner (like the on in the picture), it did work but it was a bit messy, and the fibres eventually went everywhere. They grow mosses really well.
It also had a lot of tannin in it, even from small squares. If I had another go I'd bond it together with silicon before use.
After some though I think I'd use florists "Oasis" on the floats. I used it for do a trial of propagating substrates years ago at Bath University (in the now defunct Hort. dept.) and it was excellent. The product you want is "Genuine OASIS® Ideal Wet Floral Foam Brick"
Sphagnum should be all right wet, if it's happy it will mound up out of the water. I don't think it will get on very well with pH over pH7, or with high ferts., but neither will UG. A peat block works for UG, but I'm not sure where you would get one from (I've just found out via EBay, seller "dow9955" http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/dow9955/) .
HC grew really well on the sponge so I don't think it will matter what the substrate is. A Hydrocotyle also liked live on the top of the sponge, and used to flower really well.
cheers Darrel
I tried the coconut coir hanging basket liner (like the on in the picture), it did work but it was a bit messy, and the fibres eventually went everywhere. They grow mosses really well.
It also had a lot of tannin in it, even from small squares. If I had another go I'd bond it together with silicon before use.
After some though I think I'd use florists "Oasis" on the floats. I used it for do a trial of propagating substrates years ago at Bath University (in the now defunct Hort. dept.) and it was excellent. The product you want is "Genuine OASIS® Ideal Wet Floral Foam Brick"
Sphagnum should be all right wet, if it's happy it will mound up out of the water. I don't think it will get on very well with pH over pH7, or with high ferts., but neither will UG. A peat block works for UG, but I'm not sure where you would get one from (I've just found out via EBay, seller "dow9955" http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/dow9955/) .
HC grew really well on the sponge so I don't think it will matter what the substrate is. A Hydrocotyle also liked live on the top of the sponge, and used to flower really well.
cheers Darrel
ghostsword
Member
Ok, so UG will not do on my tank, lots of ferts..
Hydrocotyle grows on anything, I even got it growing and flowering on a floating log with Willow moss as substrate.
Oasis is a good idea, did not think about it. So plants would root on Oasis? And as it floats I can sandwich it between net with a topping of sphagnum moss. I will try first with Rotalas and MU, as they are cheap to play with and survive well emmersed.
Once it grows well and the integrity of the island maintains, I can then make another island with Hydrocotyle and HC.
Hydrocotyle I now have quite lots of it, from one pot I made two very large islands.
Hydrocotyle grows on anything, I even got it growing and flowering on a floating log with Willow moss as substrate.
Oasis is a good idea, did not think about it. So plants would root on Oasis? And as it floats I can sandwich it between net with a topping of sphagnum moss. I will try first with Rotalas and MU, as they are cheap to play with and survive well emmersed.
Once it grows well and the integrity of the island maintains, I can then make another island with Hydrocotyle and HC.
Hydrocotyle I now have quite lots of it, from one pot I made two very large islands.
Hi all,
Root growth (in shrubs) was very good in Oasis. The idea was that you didn't need to re-pot the plant as such you just potted up the Oasis block, particularly useful for plants like Pointsettia which object to root disturbance. It didn't catch on commercially, possibly because the Oasis was too expensive. You can still buy them as "Oasis Root Cubes", I think they had a bit of a vogue with the "grow your own" merchants .
I've since talked to a lady who does the "church flowers", and she said that they keep their green foliage growing permanently in the Oasis, they just add flowers and rotate the blocks in and out of the church.
cheers Darrel
Root growth (in shrubs) was very good in Oasis. The idea was that you didn't need to re-pot the plant as such you just potted up the Oasis block, particularly useful for plants like Pointsettia which object to root disturbance. It didn't catch on commercially, possibly because the Oasis was too expensive. You can still buy them as "Oasis Root Cubes", I think they had a bit of a vogue with the "grow your own" merchants .
I've since talked to a lady who does the "church flowers", and she said that they keep their green foliage growing permanently in the Oasis, they just add flowers and rotate the blocks in and out of the church.
cheers Darrel
ghostsword
Member
Thanks Darrel, that is very good information on the Oasis. If stuff can grow on it then it is a very good choice for what I want to try on.
Anyone want a floating log with Hydrocotyle on it?
Anyone want a floating log with Hydrocotyle on it?
ghostsword
Member
nayr88 said:this is pretty good idea, but once the hc gets thick wont the light be blocked and then the moss will die
'floating log'haha how comes it still floats ?
hows the swamp going? and that little better nano tank?
The log has closed cell foam attached to it.
The swamp was loaned to the primary school, and the nano was entered on the ADA comp.
ghostsword
Member
I would like to try Riccia emmersed, that would be something to try.
I got now Riccia that sinks to the bottom, it becomes darker green and then stays on the bottom in between the plants, quite odd.
Received the plastic net I needed to create the floating plants, it was very cheap, at £2 for a 25cm square, so it will be good to try.
I got now Riccia that sinks to the bottom, it becomes darker green and then stays on the bottom in between the plants, quite odd.
Received the plastic net I needed to create the floating plants, it was very cheap, at £2 for a 25cm square, so it will be good to try.
ghostsword
Member
Got the plastic mesh sorted out, it arrived yesterday. So I created a bed of willow moss, and tied on top Hydrocotyle V., some Lileaopsis and some Rotala Cuttings. I planced some closed cell foam on the bottom so it is floating on top of the Java Fern and Anubias corner, meaning that they get shade and the fish get a riverbank to hide under. Quite cool with the neons.
I also got the flame moss on a floating raft, same plastic mesh.
I also got the flame moss on a floating raft, same plastic mesh.
I have grown Riccia emersed accidently. I didn't remove the floating bits after trimming and they attatched themselves to wood. Then as the water levels dropped from evaporation they gradually flattened against the wood and stuck. When I topped the water up again they crept up further until they covered the top. I have tried to do this again but it always dries out before it attaches. I'm sure you won't have a problem though
ghostsword
Member
The islands are taking off, got mosses, Marsilea and Hydrocotyle V growing on it. On one island, 15cm by 10cm, the flame moss growing emmersed has started to be attached by algae, green silky algae that is growing mixed with it.
I can dose some easycarbo on it, but I do not want to kill the moss.
Have you used Easycarbo on mosses?
I can dose some easycarbo on it, but I do not want to kill the moss.
Have you used Easycarbo on mosses?
ghostsword
Member
Thanks I will try it today.. The moss is growing higher than the algae, but would not like it to spread out to the rest of the tank.
