Acrylic Vivarium - Moss, Rocks, and Awesome!

[TJ_Burton]

I actually get moss that is already grown in carpets (much like sod) and then cut it to fit the areas I need it in. As long as you provide it with the proper care it will thrive.

[OctoberLust]

i have a few of those carpet pieces i have snagged up at reptile expos, and there....alive, but i wouldnt call it thriving. viv is about 75-85 degrees. about 60-70 % humidity

[TJ_Burton]

Originally Posted by OctoberLust

i have a few of those carpet pieces i have snagged up at reptile expos, and there....alive, but i wouldnt call it thriving. viv is about 75-85 degrees. about 60-70 % humidity

What are you using for substrate? If the moss isn't growing quickly, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I keep moss under lower light to prevent it from growing too quickly and losing it's carpet like effect. I find a lot of mosses get stringy and weak looking if is given too much light and grows too rapidly.

[OctoberLust]

substrate is Ferti-lome potting mix 100% organic. its been losing its deep green color as time goes by. in some spots turning brown. the lights aren't too bright. just a single 50 gal light tube. believe its a uvb bulb.

[TJ_Burton]

I personally wouldn't use any bulb that has a listed UV output. Use a standard "Hydroponics" or "Plant Grow" bulb from either a hardware or aquarium store. Bulbs with a Kelvin rating around 6,000K to 6,700K do a great job of keeping plants alive and growing.

As for the substrate - I am not at all familiar with Ferti-lome, but I what I use is a mixture of expanded coco fiber, sphagnum, douglas fir & peat mulch, and aquarium sand. I can post up a few pics of what it looks like later today.

[OctoberLust]

with a mix like that where do you get nutrients from?

[TJ_Burton]

Originally Posted by OctoberLust

with a mix like that where do you get nutrients from?

Most dart frog vivs will house epiphytic plants that do not require much, if any nutrients in the substrate of the enclosure. Mosses also tend not to be as dependant on nutrient rich substrates (for instance, the mosses growing on the rocks in the enclosure).

If I am going to use plants that are dependant on nutrient rich substrate, I will add a general purpose dry plant food such as miracle grow or aquarium plant root tablets to the areas those plants will be placed.

For the rest of the plants, I add a very small amount of aquarium plant liquid, nitrates, and phosphates to the misting system or spray bottles I use to mist the viv. This method works well for my mosses especially.

[TJ_Burton]

Here is a quick updated shot of the Viv. The ginger was doing amazing, but I bought some nicer plants so the ginger in now in my backyard. I am unsure if this is how I am going to leave things (I am forever changing my mind) but I promised a shot one I had done more scaping so here it is!



The red selaginella is still potted as I am unsure if it is going into this viv or another. Either way placing it that viv for now was an easy way to keep it happy.

[SAVivEnthusiast]

Wow, looks great! love the moss

[TJ_Burton]

Got a new fixture,
There was a good sale on 4 bulb HOT5 fixtures with LED moonlighting and I jumped on it. Aquatic Life fixtures also have built in digital timers which looks really clean and keeps cords minimal.