Flame Moss

[Dreamroper]

Hi Everyone,

I found some flame moss at my LFS ( along with 4 cherry barbs ). What's the best way to attach it to the branches of my manzanita? The owner suggested thread, but I'm trying to picture doing this with one hand.

Any suggestions?

Thanks-D

 

[bud29]

Many people tie it to a rock or wood piece with fishing line. It can be tricky, but if I can normally do it. If I'm extra clumsy one day, I'll just have someone help by holding it while I tie.

 

[Dreamroper]

Many people tie it to a rock or wood piece with fishing line. It can be tricky, but if I can normally do it. If I'm extra clumsy one day, I'll just have someone help by holding it while I tie.

Well, she said to make a slip knot and then put the moss through the knot, then wrap it around and around the branch and find some little niche to secure the thread to. I keep picturing doing this in my head. The slip knot will probably be the hardest part for me!

I wonder how long I can keep it in that little plastic container it came it? She just had them floating at the top of a tank, but the container itself is sealed.

Thanks for your response.
D

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I use dark green cotton thread to tie flame moss to Manzanita. It blends in perfectly. After a while the thread will disintegrate and the moss has attached itself my then.

It's a little tricky just having two hands to tie the moss. I leave extra slack where i first start the thread, then wrap the string all way down the length of where the moss is with large enough spacing because i work the string back the opposite direction to where i started. When i get back to the start where the "extra slack" is, i then tie a couple knots with the end and start of the thread. I don't know if i made any sense? Lol

Here are pics of when i did it and the subsequent growth:

 

[Dreamroper]

That looks really great Brian! By looking at your pictures though, I think that I used too big of pieces of the moss. How can you prune and regrow it?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Yeah a little goes a long way. If you tie on too thick of a clump, the middle/inside would probably die from not getting any light.

When it grows long, the easiest way is to remove the driftwood and hold it upside down over a bucket and cut away with scissors. I find it more difficult to trim the moss underwater because the moss doesn't float and starts going everywhere.. Next thing you know, you have moss growing from random places out of the substrate or other plants.

 

[Jbrock]

Nice looking moss, can't wait to do this.

 

[Dreamroper]

Yeah a little goes a long way. If you tie on too thick of a clump, the middle/inside would probably die from not getting any light.

When it grows long, the easiest way is to remove the driftwood and hold it upside down over a bucket and cut away with scissors. I find it more difficult to trim the moss underwater because the moss doesn't float and starts going everywhere.. Next thing you know, you have moss growing from random places out of the substrate or other plants.

Thanks for the info. I need to redo it. My driftwood is going to be hard to remove because it's a large manzanita branch and I have water sprite really thick at the branched out end. Someone said something about sticking it the substrate, have you ever seen that?

 

[Jbrock]

Does the flame moss grow up or hang down? In your pics it looks like it flares up

 

[Fresh2o]

Someone said something about sticking it the substrate, have you ever seen that?

I have manzanita attached to slate and the base is buried in a hill of substrate; I did the moss attachment beforehand.
You could do it in the tank during your next PWC if you bring the water level low enough. Fishing line with a lasso should work.

 

[Fresh2o]

Does the flame moss grow up or hang down? In your pics it looks like it flares up

Flame moss should grow upwards

 

[Jbrock]

Flame moss should grow upwards

Any easy growing plants like moss that will hang down say if it was attached to a branch of DW