Moss wall: Plastic mesh, stainless mesh, or fiberglass window screen?

[WhistlingBadger]

I'm planning to put a christmas moss wall in the back of my upcoming rice paddy biotope build. The water is only going to be 6" deep, so rigidity isn't a huge issue. What is your preferred substrate for moss walls? I've grown lots of moss but I've never done a wall before, so any experience would be appreciated!

 

[Colin_T]

A bit of plastic mesh with 1 inch squares would be suitable.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

1 inch squares? Isn't that pretty big?

 

[StevenF]

I would avoid window fiberglass screen. Thefiberglass is bonded together with a resin . There is no way to know if the resin is safe or not. If it was just fiberglass with no resin it would be OK in my opinion to use. Stainless steel is safe but it can scratch acrylic tanks.

 

[Colin_T]

1 inch squares? Isn't that pretty big?

1 inch squares are big enough for most small aquarium fish to get through and is small enough for Java Moss and other aquatic mosses to grow on. The plant will cover a large area pretty quickly and after a few months you won't see the mesh. We had moss in ponds and would pull out clumps and sheets that were 6 foot long and took several people to lift.

 

[ClownLurch]

@Colin_T Do you think 10mm sq holes in a mesh moss wall would be big enough for Heterandria Formosa?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

1 inch squares are big enough for most small aquarium fish to get through and is small enough for Java Moss and other aquatic mosses to grow on. The plant will cover a large area pretty quickly and after a few months you won't see the mesh. We had moss in ponds and would pull out clumps and sheets that were 6 foot long and took several people to lift.

I don't want the fish swimming through the wall. It's going to be a wall against the back of the tank. So, probably a smaller mesh would work better?