Possible Crisis, need some expert advice

[Kisa]

Hey there all, it's been quite a while (3ish years) since I've posted anything here, but now's the time I suppose.

I'll get right to it:

I'm building a natural viv for my new Whites' (unfortunately the frogs I had when I was last active here have passed away, but I'm trying again with some healthy babies) and I've run into a snafu. Without thinking I grabbed a bag of sphagnum moss the last time I was at Home Depot to use in the background mix. I wasn't planning (and definitely am not now) on using it in the ground substrate and have only used it to cover the background (after the usual foaming and siliconing steps). It was only after I'd finished that I thought "Hey, maybe I should check this stuff out, since it's name-brand."

Turns out it's Miracle-Gro (I know, I barely looked at the bag when I bought it) and after googling and reading some other forums I've decided I may have muffed this one up. The frogs have not been introduced yet, but they're quickly outgrowing they're baby tank (a 10 gal tall Exo Terra) and I need to move them ASAP.

I am wondering if I should be worried about the chemicals used in the fertilizer that's in the moss. I used 1 part moss to 2 parts Eco-Earth and as I stated above ONLY to cover the background with. The ingredients are as follows:

Total Nitrogen (N) = 0.19%
- 0.10% ammoniacal nitrogen
-0.09% nitrate nitrogen
Available Phosphate (P2O5) = 0.11%
Soluble Potash (K2O) = 0.15%

Also listed are these chemicals: (polymer coated) ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, and potassium sulfate; and ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, calcium phosphate, and potassium sulfate.

Knowing literally nothing about chemicals or gardening I have no idea what this means, but what I've gathered from my internet searches is that ammonium nitrates are bad (and ammonia in general). It also says there is 0.14% of a "wetting agent" and 1.18% fertilizer.

I would appreciate any insight anyone has on the use of this moss, and if/how I should scrap the build () and start over.

Thanks in advance!

[privet01]

I don't know anything about "whites". However I don't see it as a big issue UNLESS.... your water feature, if you have one, flows through or comes in contact with the substrate containing the miracle grow. Then you'll see a spike in the nitrates and ammonia in the water which is essentially what you have when your frogs excrement and urine build up in the water. Might be that changing the water more often will keep the levels down, but then again it may not. You might get one of those aquarium test kits and test the water now. If over the range, then change it and test an hour or so after, then again a day after and see how fast it's going too high.

But if you don't have a water feature, or it's isolated well from the "adulterated" substrate, then I see little to worry about. All of this IMO of course.

[Kisa]

Thanks for you quick reply and opinion, I really appreciate that. I won't have the water anywhere near where the affected substrate is attached as it is high up in the tank and I plan on having a water bowl at the bottom of the tank in case they need to soak. The peat moss is only mixed into the substrate I have used for the background covering and will not be used at all in ground substrate. I also don't plan on misting the tank much, as the live plants inside and sheet moss on the ground will keep moisture pretty high. Once again thank you for your reply. Does anyone else have experience with this as well, I'd love a variance of opinions.

[deranged chipmunk]

Hey there all, it's been quite a while (3ish years) since I've posted anything here, but now's the time I suppose.

I'll get right to it:

I'm building a natural viv for my new Whites' (unfortunately the frogs I had when I was last active here have passed away, but I'm trying again with some healthy babies) and I've run into a snafu. Without thinking I grabbed a bag of sphagnum moss the last time I was at Home Depot to use in the background mix. I wasn't planning (and definitely am not now) on using it in the ground substrate and have only used it to cover the background (after the usual foaming and siliconing steps). It was only after I'd finished that I thought "Hey, maybe I should check this stuff out, since it's name-brand."

Turns out it's Miracle-Gro (I know, I barely looked at the bag when I bought it) and after googling and reading some other forums I've decided I may have muffed this one up. The frogs have not been introduced yet, but they're quickly outgrowing they're baby tank (a 10 gal tall Exo Terra) and I need to move them ASAP.

I am wondering if I should be worried about the chemicals used in the fertilizer that's in the moss. I used 1 part moss to 2 parts Eco-Earth and as I stated above ONLY to cover the background with. The ingredients are as follows:

Total Nitrogen (N) = 0.19%
- 0.10% ammoniacal nitrogen
-0.09% nitrate nitrogen
Available Phosphate (P2O5) = 0.11%
Soluble Potash (K2O) = 0.15%

Also listed are these chemicals: (polymer coated) ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, and potassium sulfate; and ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, calcium phosphate, and potassium sulfate.

Knowing literally nothing about chemicals or gardening I have no idea what this means, but what I've gathered from my internet searches is that ammonium nitrates are bad (and ammonia in general). It also says there is 0.14% of a "wetting agent" and 1.18% fertilizer.

I would appreciate any insight anyone has on the use of this moss, and if/how I should scrap the build () and start over.

Thanks in advance!

You will be ok. I have made the same mistake once myself. Of course, like you, i realized too late. I had no issues from the tank. I always grow my tanks for a month before adding frogs (some longer), so i am sure a month of being rinsed by heavy mistings for a month washed out any ferts.

Just an FYI: the numbers are for the 3 crucial fertilizers plants need. Nitrogen, Potassium and Phostphate. You get the nitrogen from the ammonium nitrate, the phosphate comes from the ammonium phosphate and calcium phosphate and the potassium (potash) is from the potassium sulphate. Three of four of those are fertilizers we use in planted aquaria when we use powdered fertilizers in an EI (estimated index) method of fertilization for live aquatic plants