Sphagnum moss with scorpions

david booth

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Hey guys
I didn't know wether to post in the live plants section or not but it never looks very busy. In my terririum I have coco peat mix and I was wondering if I could grow sphagnum moss in there. I can but bags of live sphagnum moss cheaply and I hear really good thing about it. Has anyone tried to cultivate the moss and actually grow it so it carpets the whole tank. Not just throw it in a corner. Also I heard from someone that if you put moss In a spray bottle and leave it for a week when you mist the substrate the moss in the bottle will transfer Into the sub???. Cheers guys.
Any help is appreciated
 

pannaking22

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What species of scorp were you wanting to give all the sphagnum? I can't say I've ever tried growing it before, always just mixing it in with the substrate or placing it in a corner. I'm curious to hear what others have to say about this!
 

david booth

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What species of scorp were you wanting to give all the sphagnum? I can't say I've ever tried growing it before, always just mixing it in with the substrate or placing it in a corner. I'm curious to hear what others have to say about this!
They are heterometrus not exactly sure which specific ones I'm guessing spinifer I see loads of videos about moss carpets in a terririum and it Would be awesome to get the moss actually thriving and carpet the whole tank. I'm eager to try the spray bottle. In the UK we have a common thick moss they grows on everything I'm tempted to peel a slab off from out side clean it with hot water, put it in and see what happens. The spray bottle method sounds interesting aswell
 

david booth

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So has any one ever tried to actually plant moss in there terrariums?? I want to get it growing in there, rather than just sort of throw it in a corner. Or scatter it around. It's quite warm in there, 24-29c it's obviously humid and the tank steams up and condensates quickly. But theres very little sun light. As there obviously inside. From what I've researched any kinds of moss should thrive in those conditions. Also Ive seen some awesome terririum with mushrooms growing in them, has any had any mushrooms start to grow ?? Once I have some moss established I can look into getting some isopods/earthworms In there.This is the sort of effect I'm wanting..
 

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darkness975

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They need somewhere to burrow and have non mossed ground. That pic you posted looks like it may not be getting much air flow at all. Heterometrus spp. like humidity but they, like most animals, are not fans of stuffy stagnant environments.
 

david booth

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They need somewhere to burrow and have non mossed ground. That pic you posted looks like it may not be getting much air flow at all. Heterometrus spp. like humidity but they, like most animals, are not fans of stuffy stagnant environments.
Yeah I understand that. The tank I have has a double sliding lid so there's plenty of ventilation and mine only ever burrow inside there hides and burrow from there. The moss won't be there. Once it's established I can cut it back and remove it where I don't want it. Those pics proberly weren't the best ones tbh. But just an idea of carpeting the sub lightly. And having it grow up the rocks and logs and stuff.
 

darkness975

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Yeah I understand that. The tank I have has a double sliding lid so there's plenty of ventilation and mine only ever burrow inside there hides and burrow from there. The moss won't be there. Once it's established I can cut it back and remove it where I don't want it. Those pics proberly weren't the best ones tbh. But just an idea of carpeting the sub lightly. And having it grow up the rocks and logs and stuff.
Alright that makes more sense haha.

Also, never underestimate the determination of a burrowing Scorpion. My trio of P. imperator 4i managed to completely fill in the pre-started burrows I gave them under their hides and rework their entire tunnel structure so that now there are a couple of entrances randomly in the middle of the substrate where they can enter/exit.
 

Christianb96

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I think the idea is pretty cool and would make a great habitat for a Forrest species. Keep us posted, I want to see how it turns out!
 

david booth

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I think the idea is pretty cool and would make a great habitat for a Forrest species. Keep us posted, I want to see how it turns out!
Will do guys..I'll defo be taking loads of pics and I'm eager to try the spray bottle technique
 

david booth

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Alright that makes more sense haha.

Also, never underestimate the determination of a burrowing Scorpion. My trio of P. imperator 4i managed to completely fill in the pre-started burrows I gave them under their hides and rework their entire tunnel structure so that now there are a couple of entrances randomly in the middle of the substrate where they can enter/exit.
Wow haha I suppose it's there little world they'll do what they want. I had one. burrow down the other week. From the back of her hide, her burrow went maybe 6 inches so not far at all but I noticed the substrate was giving way. It's really humid in there but where the sub hits the glass Infront of the heat mat. It's always quite dry??. Have you ever had a tunnel collapse. If so this sounds quite dangerous for them...How Do I avoid this ??
 

darkness975

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Wow haha I suppose it's there little world they'll do what they want. I had one. burrow down the other week. From the back of her hide, her burrow went maybe 6 inches so not far at all but I noticed the substrate was giving way. It's really humid in there but where the sub hits the glass Infront of the heat mat. It's always quite dry??. Have you ever had a tunnel collapse. If so this sounds quite dangerous for them...How Do I avoid this ??
If they collapse their tunnels they usually will dig out of it with little issue.
 

david booth

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So I got some common Moss from my garden yesterday. Rinced it with boiling water and but in a shady spot under A small rock pile I've built. And within seconds a black cricket was on it munching away. Lol has anybody else seen this with feeders.??. I knew they eat anything they could get hold of But never though it would be moss lmao.
 

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pannaking22

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From what I've seen, Orthoptera will eat anything and they actually really seem to enjoy moss (if they're a species that comes in regular contact with it anyway).
 

david booth

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From what I've seen, Orthoptera will eat anything and they actually really seem to enjoy moss (if they're a species that comes in regular contact with it anyway).
OK dude thanks just wanted to know if it would hurt them as I don't want the scorps eating them if the moss makes them sick. Have you got any moss in your tanks?? If so is it spreading ??
 

darkness975

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OK dude thanks just wanted to know if it would hurt them as I don't want the scorps eating them if the moss makes them sick. Have you got any moss in your tanks?? If so is it spreading ??
You should not be using anything from outside. Pesticides, bacteria, you name it could be in there.
 

pannaking22

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OK dude thanks just wanted to know if it would hurt them as I don't want the scorps eating them if the moss makes them sick. Have you got any moss in your tanks?? If so is it spreading ??
I don't think you'll have issues as long as the moss is clean and doesn't have any exposure to pesticides or entomophagic fungi (which could be in the soil the moss is growing in). I haven't tried any moss like that and any that goes in with my isopods gets shredded pretty fast. I've been using some moss from outside in a tetrigid enclosure where I work and it seems to do well enough, minus having some humidity issues and the tetrigids shredding it pretty quickly. I'm still somewhat hesitant to use it though even though I know it's from a pesticide free area. It's all from where I caught the tetrigids though, so that makes me feel a little bit better.

You should not be using anything from outside. Pesticides, bacteria, you name it could be in there.
Agreed, I'd try to just get something from a pet store and try to work with that. A greenhouse might be ok too, but I'd probably avoid it because they tend to spray quite a bit in there to keep pests out.
 

RTTB

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The scorpions may lay waste to a moss bed with their burrowing.
 

david booth

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I
You should not be using anything from outside. Pesticides, bacteria, you name it could be in there.
I know what you mean matey. It's from my mum's garden, she grows produce and stuff. And never uses pesticides. The boiling water would kill just about everything include microfauna and bactaria. I'll be any isopods I want from a breeder.
 

david booth

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I k
I don't think you'll have issues as long as the moss is clean and doesn't have any exposure to pesticides or entomophagic fungi (which could be in the soil the moss is growing in). I haven't tried any moss like that and any that goes in with my isopods gets shredded pretty fast. I've been using some moss from outside in a tetrigid enclosure where I work and it seems to do well enough, minus having some humidity issues and the tetrigids shredding it pretty quickly. I'm still somewhat hesitant to use it though even though I know it's from a pesticide free area. It's all from where I caught the tetrigids though, so that makes me feel a little bit better.



Agreed, I'd try to just get something from a pet store and try to work with that. A greenhouse might be ok too, but I'd probably avoid it because they tend to spray quite a bit in there to keep pests out.
Tertrigid?? Is this an isopod?? OK know what you mean and I do see your point. But I washed all the soil off with boiling water and I can gaurenteed no pestiicides or chemical have touched my mum's garden. I'm going to see if it starts to spread of not I'll take it out and buy a bag of moss seed from a garden centre
 
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