Moss

[Diao]

I am planning on making a huge tank in the near future to house 10-12 emps. I want to make the enclosure a very beautiful and lucsh one. I was hoping to add some real moss to top the substrate. You can do this by simply taking moss from outside and putting it in a blender with milk, and then pouring the substance where you would like moss to grow. All I want to know is, will this harm any scorpions in any way? Thanks in advance...

-G

 

[skinheaddave]

It is my understanding that the milk (I've heard it recommended to use buttermilk) gets pretty rancid for a while. I would wait until the moss has truly taken and the milk has dissipated before introducing any scorps. For a time, you may be growing more than you intend.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Mechanical-Mind]

futher inquiries-

I've read that live moss is terrificially toxic when ingested by humans. would one expect the same poor results if ingested by a scorp? Also, does anyone know if this will alter the pH? I too was planning on growing moss with the blender//milk method (much respect to the legend -Bill Nye- or whoever he got it from.) maybe some peat in a wide rubbermaid as a base could work. Give the milk time to dissipate as shDave had said, while letting the moss flourish. Perhaps indirect lighting too.

Anyway, i guess i share the same worries as Diao. Has anyone used moss from around their house or woods (or more "clean" moss of the same cultivar) with moderate-high humidity enclosures??

i obviously don't know the cultivar name here, but my most accurate description is this: it's the velvety green moss you might find on a rock under your deck or by a creek. Hoot!

thanks,
-matt

 

[XOskeletonRED]

If it is planned to use moss from around your home, it is usually not infested with anything, less there be ants in it. I have taken all that I use and nuked it for a couple minutes. It turned brown for a week or two (been a while since I did it), and afterwards, the lively green coloration returned. Wide spectrum aquarium bulbs are my personal preference for plant life. Do keep in mind, the moss should be shaded from direct light. I use a number of tropical and subtropical plants as well, which aids in the part of providing shady areas. Due to the location that moss naturally grows, it is best to place it around the bottoms of larger plants and on rocks (moss roots are very shallow growing, so the larger plant roots will pull the majority of the moisture for them, then they feed from the larger plant or from the moisture withheld within the rock).


adios,
edw.