[wingyuu]

What's the best netting to use to attach moss to rocks? Not really interested in using cotton thread or fishing line. I'll try to use this for some java moss, fissidens, and maybe some others.

Also thinking about making a mini riccia lawn. What's a good mesh for that?

And where do you get these materials?

 

[dubvstudent]

There are many options. Some ppl prefer thread do to the ability of some fish to snag themselves in netting, but IMO it is not as effective as other options.

IME a synthetic loofah like this: http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photos-isolated-loofah-image1508633 can be easily taken apart and used quite effectively for attaching moss to rocks.

Most ppl that make carpets out of riccia use some kind of mesh screening, I myself have used screen door mesh with mixed results (after it grows too tall out of the mesh, you start loosing big clumps of it).

You can buy the loofahs at any wal-mart or target. The screening can be picked up at a HD or lowes.

 

[Misfit]

To do a riccia carpet, I used 4" slate tiles with a cut up loofah to hold it together, like mentioned above. It is time consuming to stitch down, but I liked the results. You have to keep it trimmed somewhat close to the mesh though, otherwise the riccia underneath will die and no longer hold anything down, and the whole thing will float to the top. I used rocks previously, which looked like rolling hills when it grew out. I gave up on them because it was too hard to keep them trimmed short cause they were all different sizes and shapes. Picked up the tiles at Home Depot and the loofah's from the 99 cent store.

 

[shoteh]

Wow, nice carpet. I agree, Riccia round rocks looks nice at first and then they get messy real fast. Actually Riccia with anything gets messy fast.

Misfit- so how often are your hands getting wet to trim?

 

[Misfit]

Misfit- so how often are your hands getting wet to trim?

I do a water change every week, and net out anything that's on the surface every few days. I only trim the carpet about every two weeks, although I have gone longer than that without too much trouble. My original thought was to be able to take the tiles out and trim them so that all the small peices didn't end up in the tank. I quickly found that doing it that way doesn't let it fill in and you can see where each tile starts and ends. I bought an 8" net and bent the handle straight up so that it forms a 90 degree bend. I hold that over the riccia as I cut and it catches most everything.

 

[shoteh]

I bought an 8" net and bent the handle straight up so that it forms a 90 degree bend. I hold that over the riccia as I cut and it catches most everything.

Hmm not a bad idea. Might look into that next time I do messy foreground trimming.

 

[they call me bruce]

do u put the nettimg over the rica and let it grow through it?

 

[Misfit]

do u put the nettimg over the rica and let it grow through it?

Yep, you got it. That's why you have to keep it semi short; so the riccia under the net doesn't die and let the other stuff float away. I just put a patch of riccia on the tile wrapped it in net and sewed it together with fishing line.

 

[Ben Belton]

I use the net bag that onions come in to hold down Riccia. Its bright orange, but it disappears after a few days.