# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Aquatic Moss Club >  How to make a moss wall?

## TripleC

Someone told me that there was a good article/thread about how to set up a nice wall of moss for a background in your tank. I tried to search the forums, but the search function wasn't working...

I'd appreciate any advice you all have about how to set up a moss wall...the problems seem to be how to anchor the moss initially and how to make sure it gets enough light from that angle.

I'd also appreciate any links to good articles/threads regarding the issue. 

Thanks!

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## zmzfam

Welcome to the forum.

A simple google search for 'moss wall' would definitely throw up some good links.

Here's one : http://www.killies.com/Mosswall.htm




> I'd also appreciate any links to good articles/threads regarding the issue.


We'd also appreciate if you would sign off with your real name and update your profile so that we know where you are from.

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## strung_0ut

Hey TripleC,

I would follow the link Zulkilfi gave exactly as instructed. I went through about 4 walls without any luck and then I finally got those exact materials and followed on through. I just made two walls recently: a taiwan moss wall and a giant weeping moss wall. Here are a couple pictures of the weeping moss wall. One thing I do is use more moss than is needed, probably several layers. Fishing line works really good, and I would think the more you tie it down and the lesser looseness of the wall, the better the moss will grow.





Regards,
Dennis

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## TripleC

Wow, Dennis, that looks great! Unfortunately, I only have a 12X12 piece of Xmas moss...and you look like you have a couple of pizza boxes you could fill! How should I go about growing up the moss so I get some nice sheets like you have? I don't want to make a big mess!

Thanks,
Chris

Thanks for the link zmzfam!

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## BeyondGomer

Hey Dennis, you would happen to have extra weeping or taiwan from that massive buy would you? I am doing a new tank soon and I don't have enough of either LOL.

thanks

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## amber2461

Yup Dennis

Shame on you for showing us that kind of mosses when it is not possible for us to get it here  :Surprised:

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## stormhawk

:Laughing:  Now now Marge don't get too sad. I guess Dennis might have some excess to send to you?  :Twisted Evil:  

Dennis, you just had to make me drool.  ::smt021:   :Drool:

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## timebomb

Wow, Dennis, you sure are one successful moss grower  :Smile: 

Welcome to the forum, Chris. If you noticed, zmzfam signed off as Zulkifli. That's his real name. We signed off with real names here and we are glad you did so too. 

I've been thinking of putting up a better moss wall article for some time now but haven't got a round tuit yet  :Laughing: . The one you saw was done hastily several years ago. I put up that article to help those folks at the APD mailing list who were sued by an overly litiguous individual. Anyway, here are some pictures which you may find useful:


I now put the suction cups mostly only along the top edge of the plastic mesh. The moss wall can become a death trap for fishes if the space between the wall and the glass is too narrow. By "hanging" the wall instead of using suction cups on all edges, I create sufficient space for fishes to swim out when they find themselves trapped between the wall and the glass.



If the suction cups don't fit into the holes of the mesh nicely, I use pins to hold them in place.



The mosses are then laid on one side of the plastic mesh. Dennis uses several layers of moss but as far as I know, one layer is more than enough. Just be careful not to leave large empty spaces or there will be a gap in your moss wall later.



After the moss has been laid, I cover it with the other piece of plastic mesh. Those are my wife's hands, by the way. I don't wear bracelets  :Laughing: 



Just like Dennis, I use fishing line to tie the 2 pieces of mesh together. The fastest way is to use a needle to thread the fishing line through the holes of the mesh. It's not good to tie the 2 pieces of mesh too tightly together or there won't be any space for the moss to grow. You don't want the space to be too loose either. Just leave a gap and everything should work out fine.



This is how my Taiwan Moss wall looked like when I took it down several weeks ago. The problem with moss walls is that the mosses eventually grow too thick and the wall doesn't look nice anymore. But then again, that surely would be a problem many would like to have  :Laughing: 

Loh K L

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## hammy

Well, some might call it cheating but I created my moss wall by 'stapling' pieces of moss (X-mas or Singapore moss for mine) onto the styro-foam board at the background. Its a pity I don't have a digi-cam to take pictures of it.

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## stormhawk

Hi Selwyn,

I won't call it cheating but the staples do rust in the water. I'm not sure if that will affect the water conditions but if your moss has overgrown the staples then I guess its not so bad after all.  :Very Happy:

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## hammy

Opps, sorry for leaving this out. I didn't actually use real staples. I cut out a small portion of stainless-steel netting and took them apart (one small portion gives many 'wires' to make staple bullets). Then I bent them into the shape of a staple bullet and....*staple staple staple*, hee hee... Thank for bring out that point Jianyang.  :Very Happy:

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## stormhawk

Hi Selwyn,

For awhile I thought you meant you used the normal steel staplets that we get from the bookstore. That's a neat idea to think about using the stainless steel mesh instead.  :Very Happy:

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## strung_0ut

Wow! Thank you all for the great reviews. I've always wanted to make fellow forumers drool. 

Chris,
If you want more moss, just use what works best in growing, which would probably use driftwood. It sounds like you have enough already though, like Mr. Loh said, you do not need more than one layer.

Gomer,
May I offer up a trade? As well as being mad into moss, I am mad into echinodorus, and you have the Lothario Autumn leaves which I cannot afford. Just a plantlet, and I'll make it well worth the trade. I'm heading up to petown today to get some ecco complete, maybe we can meet somewhere on the way. I hope you get this message soon.

Marge,
Pm me and I'll cover you as Jianyang said.

Regards,
Dennis

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## TripleC

Wow! You guys are great...

Loh, that updated pictorial was good...and you have beautiful hands (j/k).
Did you just trim the moss wall and replace it every few weeks? it seems like that would be an easy way to maintain it. My main problem with moss in the past has been that it gets really messy.

Chris

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## BeyondGomer

Dennis

I don't know if I'll be able to meet up at all, but I can arrange an Autumn leaves for you. Let me look through my tank. I know I have plantlets. I owe two other people some but I should have more! Also, do you already have a kleiner bar? got them too :Very Happy: 

If we need to ship, it will be very cheap and fast (need to head to the post office on monday anyways). PM me your mailing address so I can shoot it off to the mail (realizing as I type that meeting up probably will be too hard right now..busy  :Sad: )

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## stormhawk

Hi Tony,

I think the person who asked for the Lothario Autumn plantlet was Dennis, not Marge.  :Wink:  

By the way, do you have a picture of this cultivar? I'm curious as to how it looks.

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## BeyondGomer

oops..thanks for the correction LOL


Unfortunately, I do not have a photo. My boss has my camera right now (actually the lab's camera, but I adopted it LOL).

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## Robert

Hi,
I don't know if you know a another hybrid under the name Lothario but the one I know, looks like this:



The picture belongs to Wolfgang Ise's site about sword plants. The site is in German: http://www.wolfgang-ise.de/echinodoren/index.htm but very useful. Another good site (also in German) is: http://echinodorus.de. 

regards

Robert

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## amber2461

Hey Tony

If you want to send me some plantlets, I am never ever gonna say "No".  ::smt003:

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## BeyondGomer

LOL...I'm sure that the customs officers will stare at them for a couple weeks to see how long it takes to melt...after they get their answer, they will ship to you.

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## amber2461

Not unless you send me a small one and in a bubble envelope and have it sealed like Mr Loh does, then, it will definitely come through.

Cheers

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## strung_0ut

Hey Marge,

I think Tony knows how customs work and all the different methods of shipping and was politely saying no. I know its hard and I've done this before but its best not to intrude, not to say you were intending to. I don't think he has anymore plantlets neither. Anyways, your moss goes out tomorrow so check out for it next week, sooner, or later.

Cheers!

Dennis

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## amber2461

Hey Dennis

I know that he know but I was just teasing and I am sure that he knows that too. I am aware of how strict the customs are on this side of the border on plants coming from the other side of the border =)

Again, thanks Dennis!

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## stormhawk

:Laughing:  You guys literally live across the border from each other and yet there's so many restriction. So much for the NAFTA agreement.  :Very Happy: 

By the way, Robert, thanks for the pic. I have an idea of what this cultivar may look like.  :Wink:

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## timebomb

> Did you just trim the moss wall and replace it every few weeks?


Chris, I don't know how others do it but I've never trimmed my moss. Occasionally, I keep the wall in shape by pulling out some of the fronds. It can be a bit tricky as quite often, a huge gap is left in the wall when a whole bunch of moss gets pulled out. 

The reason I don't trim the moss is because tiny bits and pieces get scattered all over the tank. 

Loh K L

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