Java Moss Blanket For New Tank

[loubega]

hi there,

just bought a 50 l tank with filter and light etc.....collecting it in a few weeks but already having ideas of turning it into a planted tank

i really like the idea of a moss blanket, i have looked into doing it, with the slate or plastic mesh and then either attaching it with netting or just encasing it within the mesh,

will it need any special substrate or is gravel ok? i read somewhere that java moss will grow anywhere and in most conditions is this true?

also i have a 70l matured tank of 1 year already so could i just transfer filter media from there into the new filter and cut out the whole cycling process?

also what sort of fish would look good in moss blanket tank?
like the idea of simple shoals etc.....

cheers in advance

 

[loubega]

hi there,

just bought a 50 l tank with filter and light etc.....collecting it in a few weeks but already having ideas of turning it into a planted tank

i really like the idea of a moss blanket, i have looked into doing it, with the slate or plastic mesh and then either attaching it with netting or just encasing it within the mesh,

will it need any special substrate or is gravel ok? i read somewhere that java moss will grow anywhere and in most conditions is this true?

also i have a 70l matured tank of 1 year already so could i just transfer filter media from there into the new filter and cut out the whole cycling process?

also what sort of fish would look good in moss blanket tank?
like the idea of simple shoals etc.....

cheers in advance

bump bump? any advice would be great?

 

[loubega]

hello? anyone with any expertise on planted tanks?

 

[loubega]

please?

 

[fifefish]

put any gravel in it doesnt really matter..
then fill it up with water add some water conditioner.
take your mature filter sponge and dunk it in the tank effectively washing it..
this will make the water cloudy but if you turn on your filter with new filter media inside it should clear up..
also turn the heater on to start the cycling..
let the mature filter media soak in the tank for a couple hours..
____
tie some java moss lengthways to a peice of slate with some fishing line
let the java moss grow in all directions..
then when it gets to tall try weave its strands in the fishing line on the slates..
in time the moss will clutch to the gravel and soon there will be no sign of the gravel one the moss have taken over..
___
if you want to increase growth of the moss..: 1 leave the lights on in this tank for long periods more than 12 hours at a time..
: 2 add some fertilizer to the tank in the correct dosage for the tank...
when doing this whole process it is advisable that you do not add fish until the moss has clutched properly to the slate so that no fish get caught in the fishing line.
hope this helps

 

[aaronnorth]

java moss will gorw almost anywhere in any tank/. Transfering the media will work, but add fish straight away otherwise the bacteria will die as it will have no ammonia to survive on.

tetras and rasbora's are the most common shaoling fish. Rummynoses are good.

any gravel will do as it has no roots so therefore it wont be able to get nutrients from the gravel. Adding nutrients via the water column will help with a liquif fert like seachem flourish.

leave the lights on in this tank for long periods more than 12 hours at a time..

8-12hr is plenty, plants need a rest aswell as fish.

 

[fifefish]

if you are going to add tetras i recommend you have black skirt tetra because they are quite an easy fish to start a tank with..

 

[loubega]

java moss will gorw almost anywhere in any tank/. Transfering the media will work, but add fish straight away otherwise the bacteria will die as it will have no ammonia to survive on.

tetras and are the most common shaoling fish. Rummynoses are good.

any gravel will do as it has no roots so therefore it wont be able to get nutrients from the gravel. Adding nutrients via the water column will help with a liquif fert like seachem flourish.

leave the lights on in this tank for long periods more than 12 hours at a time..

8-12hr is plenty, plants need a rest aswell as fish.

when i put the mature media in the new water/tank, and leave it for a couple of hours will that make the tank good enough for fish?

also will the filter media be ok to put back into my 70l tank it came from?

cant wait to start growing my moss blanket now! thinking of a blanketed flor with a central piece of bogwood, then a moss back wall and then perhaps one or two smaller plants to break up the tank a bit....

thinking of going for a shoal of rasbora's then a few corys on the bottom

 

[loubega]

put any gravel in it doesnt really matter..
then fill it up with water add some water conditioner.
take your mature filter sponge and dunk it in the tank effectively washing it..
this will make the water cloudy but if you turn on your filter with new filter media inside it should clear up..
also turn the heater on to start the cycling..
let the mature filter media soak in the tank for a couple hours..
____
tie some java moss lengthways to a peice of slate with some fishing line
let the java moss grow in all directions..
then when it gets to tall try weave its strands in the fishing line on the slates..
in time the moss will clutch to the gravel and soon there will be no sign of the gravel one the moss have taken over..
___
if you want to increase growth of the moss..: 1 leave the lights on in this tank for long periods more than 12 hours at a time..
: 2 add some fertilizer to the tank in the correct dosage for the tank...
when doing this whole process it is advisable that you do not add fish until the moss has clutched properly to the slate so that no fish get caught in the fishing line.
hope this helps

could i use a hair net? how quick does java moss grow? also does it not get clogged up with all the debris that would be on the gravel?

also is christmas moss a good idea as well?

 

[aaronnorth]

well if you fill the tankup with fresh water, there will be no ammonia (test tap water 1st) in the water so transferring the sponge straight over means it will be safe for fish straight away.

why not just leave the matured media in the new tank? you will have to leave it there anyway for a few weeks to make sure the bacteria has grown on the other filter media.

You can use hairnet, but personally i find them a PITA. I prefer to use fishing line as it is ainvisible. Cotton is also another option.

Java ,moss grows quick, depending on light levels. more light = faster growth.

i think it might be christmas moss that doesnt attach itself to objects unlike other mosses. but it will be fine as long as it is constantly tied down.

 

[loubega]

well if you fill the tankup with fresh water, there will be no ammonia (test tap water 1st) in the water so transferring the sponge straight over means it will be safe for fish straight away.

why not just leave the matured media in the new tank? you will have to leave it there anyway for a few weeks to make sure the bacteria has grown on the other filter media.

You can use hairnet, but personally i find them a PITA. I prefer to use fishing line as it is ainvisible. Cotton is also another option.

Java ,moss grows quick, depending on light levels. more light = faster growth.

i think it might be christmas moss that doesnt attach itself to objects unlike other mosses. but it will be fine as long as it is constantly tied down.

the matured media will come from my filter being used in my 70l so if i take that out then i wont have a filter for that tank? is there any way of splitting that media and maybe putting half in the new one and leaving the other half in my current filter?

 

[aaronnorth]

yes do that then, cut it in half,

 

[loubega]

yes do that then, cut it in half,

yea its already in 2 parts, i have a third bit of media that hasnt been used yet, could i put that in my 70l now and let it mature and then i could use half of the current media plus that extra bit of media that i would of put in, that means the new tank will have 2 bits of matured media??

 

[aaronnorth]

with it being a smaller tank, the 1/2 spong would be enough.

 

[loubega]

with it being a smaller tank, the 1/2 spong would be enough.

will the current tnak be ok running on only half 2?