I am a moss murderer!

[fish4all]

I have tried everything, researched for hours and tried so many techniques I can not count them or remember half of them.

to make it easy, here is my latest victim.

Not dead yet but getting them. I have tried everything, terrariums with high humidity, club moss, sheet moss and too many others to remembers. High humidity lots of water to less water to lower humidity. High light, medium light and everything in between.

Is this just my brown thumb plant or is there something I haven't tired that may finally make me successful with moss?

[fish4all]

All the things I have tried:
Standard medium I use is 40-45% coconut coir, 40-45% peat and 5-10% worm castings. All soaked and well wetted before using.
High light in form of T8 6500K 2 foot light dual bulb. Medium light in a dome lamp with a 6500K 80 watt eq. compact fluorescent. All lights withing 12 inches of moss.
Closed terrarium, closed terrarium with small vents, open terrarium with pond for humidity.

All the mosses I have tried do the same thing, they dry out and die. I have tried at least 5 varieties in at least 3 different setups each with the same results.

The small piece that has survived for now has been soaked and removed from the medium light. I have slim hope it will survive but there is still hope. I soak the medium to saturation with water standing in the bottom catch tray and keep it that way. We will see if I have found the way I can finally grow moss or not, if it survives.

[Bombina Bob]

This may sound wierd but ive never had any luck with store bought moss but more
luck with moss collected outside and have had some moss still living and growing in
my terrarium at home for over 6 months now.

[deranged chipmunk]

you're problem may be that you are trying to grow a moss and selaginella is not a moss. yes, i know, it is called spikemoss and clubmoss, but it is actually a fern. it likes lower light levels and it likes to dry out between waterings, but does like to be misted often. oddly enough, i can grow darned near anything, but the only place i had success with selaginella is my garden. LOL

[fish4all]

I have tried so many store bought types maybe going out and collecting it form outside is the only way to go. I can grow anything too but moss just seems to hate me. Maybe I have been duped every time I order or buy from the local shop and have gotten something that is not moss so it always dies.

[Heatheranne]

So far the only luck I've had is with java moss from Black Jungle. The moss is actually growing in the large baggie I bought it in. I mist it every few days.

[fish4all]

Well I went outside, collected some moss and planted it in my tank. Maybe this will work when all else has failed. I don't really like the growth habits of the moss but if it grows it is better than dying and turning crispy brown. Anyone have suggestions on a true moss I might be able to grow that provides a low dense carpet? Or any other plant for that matter? Something that will be dense enough to keep crickets from burying into it and the frogs up off the medium?

[Bombina Bob]

Ive had luck with the wild moss. Just make sure to wash it out good before
placing in the terrarium so there arent any hitchhikers and provide low lighting for the moss
There is another alternative; java moss, its an aquatic plant and it can be grown within the
vivarium, it just needs to be constantly wet which may not be an option if you dont have a
false bottom

[fish4all]

Here is my local moss. Maybe it will grow better. Low light huh, this stuff grows in the shade but grows really well even in brighter spots. We will see how it does.

The moss came out of my yard in all separate strands so cleaning it was easy. If it doesn't work I am gonna try to find someone on here to buy some from. At least that way I know it is growing in a similar environment to mine.

[Heatheranne]

Good luck!

[deranged chipmunk]

Chris, if you can't get that to grow, let me know and I will send you a couple different species of mosses from my mantella tank that you should be able to grow rather easily

[fish4all]

Well so far it is still alive, no signs of growth but I imagine it is going to take a long time to notice any.

I may take you up on that offer Bill, it will be a while before I am ready to get my FBT and having a good growing specimen might be the best way to go.