Moss Wall Substrate

[dskidmore]

I've been maintaining a moss wall for some time sandwiched between two pices of plastic canvas. Every now and then the moss grows right out of the plastic mesh and is no longer attached, although it forms a thick mat with itself. I can take the back canvas and re-apply over the front, or use thread to sew down the mat to the canvas.

Does anyone have luck with natual backings that the moss will naturally adhere to and not need re-attachment now and then? It adheres loosely to driftwood and stone, is there anything it adheres to better?

 

[ldaniel]

Here is a link, im not sure if it what your looking for or not.
Aquatic Moss. How to Create a Moss Wall. Create backdrop using aquatic moss. How to grow Aquatic Moss. Info on Java Moss, Christmas Moss, Taiwan Moss, Peacock Moss, Stringy Moss

 

[dskidmore]

I really don't think of plastic mesh as a "natural backing". That's pretty much the method I'm using with a slightly different plastic mesh.

 

[ldaniel]

what about using like a quark board?

 

[dskidmore]

Are those held together with glue? Is that glue safe? I think the moss would adhere to it pretty well. It adheres lightly to wood, and cork has lots of pores.

 

[ldaniel]

attaching it is something that i hadnt thought of. maybe hanging it on the glass with suction cups? i wouldnt use glue, two reasons; most glues that are able to be in water are hazardous, if youdont like how it is turning out you cant remove it.

 

[dskidmore]

I was wondering if there was glue in the material itself, like there is in plywood.

I'm not too worried about attaching the substrate to the wall. My tank has these little tabs designed to hold dividers on the top, and then the bottom I can anchor in the sand. If you don't have that, there's always a way with suction cups.

Epoxy glues are safe after they cure, but don't use a water or solvent based glue that's not labeled safe.

It's the moss's natural attachment to the substrate that is of most interest to me. The moss has 0 affinity for the plastic mesh, so as it grows out the older parts break down leaving the new parts disconnected from the mesh.