How To Establish Plants And Moss?

[Deleted member 55926]

OK, so soon I will be ordering plants for my tank, and I just want to be prepared. Some questions for you guys:

1. I have various stick-type pieces of sumatra driftwood that I would like to establish some moss on. Is java moss the easiest for a beginner/low-tech tank? The LFS sells it at £3.50 "a clump" but I don't really have a clue how much I need. I mean, how much does it grow? Do I get one or two clumps and tear them apart into smaller bits to tie onto the wood? How sparingly do I spread each clump?
   
2. I have 3 smallish pieces of slate. Can these be made use of where planting is concerned?
   
3. I have a piece of bogwood that will sit in front of the filter. I thought it would be a good idea to grow a big java fern or something here that will hide the filter. Are there any benefits to attaching the fern to the wood? Is it just easier to move/re-scape the tank? How exactly do I attach leafy plants like this to wood? Glue or something (is cotton thread just for moss)?
   
4. On hiding the filter: do I need to keep a perimeter around the filter plant-free to ensure the intakes can still efficiently suck in water from all over the tank? It's probably a really silly question, but I just want to make sure that if I grow plants around the filter the plants won't create a sort of curtain that prevents waste water from the rest of the tank getting to the filter intakes efficiently (i.e. the same dirt will be sitting around getting caught in the plants if they are thick around the filter).
   
5. Can anyone recommend a good low-light, easy to care for plant that grows in vertical strands? I like those plants that create a tall, stringy sort of forest in one corner, where my tetras can hide between the strands. Edit: Vallisneria spiralis?

 

[crimsontsavo]

I use cotton thread to attach my mosses and ferns to rocks and wood.
My java moss grew on the back and sides of my tank with no help from me as well.
I spread it as thickly as I can on objects but you can spread it very thin and the java moss will fill in pretty fast.

My java ferns grow best when attached to wood.

You can get plants to attach themselves to slate, yes (use cotton thread). They can be placed around the intake as a barrier- just make certain it doesn't affect water flow adversely.

I hide my filter with java ferns and various other plants. I do make sure that there is room around the intake so it doesn't cut down on the flow.This saves the motor having to work very hard drawing water through the foliage.

-Jay.

 

[Deleted member 55926]

Thanks for your reply