# General Topics > Plants, Plant Care & Plant Identification >  Josh's Frogs Sheet Moss

## ThatGuyWithTheFace

There's not many photos of their product anywhere, so I thought I'd post one. 

I'm very happy with how much they give you. Get the regular shipping, it's dried. It comes like this 
Very very suspicious looking bag. Lol I filled my tank and still have half the moss I received.

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## Crunchy Frog

Yes, that stuff is great.  I used in my Gray froglet grow out tanks, and one bag was enough to fill 4 ten gallon tanks.  I put it through the wringer, and it still managed to come out looking pretty good.  It will come alive and grow if you don't abuse it too badly.

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ThatGuyWithTheFace

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## Tommy

Will this moss survived uv light 8-12 hours a day? Also I'll have a fogger on maybe every other day.

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> Will this moss survived uv light 8-12 hours a day? Also I'll have a fogger on maybe every other day.


I have no clue, man. My UV light is on 11 hours a day. I'll tell you in a month or so how it's doing. I'm pretty sure it will need more than a UV light. Mine is under T8 lights, LED lights, and UV lights.

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

Flybyferns or deranged chipmunk might be able to help you with that question. I'm no professional and have never grown plants before January. This post was just meant to show exactly what you get when you order the sheet moss.

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## bill

Moss doesn't need a lot of light to grow, but it does need the proper color temp of light. 6500k or so. That moss, under high lighting (t5ho or led) will stay short, and bright green, under lower lighting levels, it grows a bit more stringy and leggy. 


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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ThatGuyWithTheFace

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## Krispy

Be sure to keep it moist as well. I dont order moss but i harvest it here. The chipmunk is right about lighting. We use hydroponic grow bulbs on every tank we have. I have seen people cheat and use GE brand Bright Effects full spectrum 56k twisty bulbs and have great success as well. Hope it helped and sorry im so breif. Gotta work and will follow this one....

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ThatGuyWithTheFace

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> Be sure to keep it moist as well. I dont order moss but i harvest it here. The chipmunk is right about lighting. We use hydroponic grow bulbs on every tank we have. I have seen people cheat and use GE brand Bright Effects full spectrum 56k twisty bulbs and have great success as well. Hope it helped and sorry im so breif. Gotta work and will follow this one....


I harvested moss at some point and heard the need a dormancy period.

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## bill

If it is a temperate moss, then yes, it will eventually need a dormancy period.  :Smile: 


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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Krispy

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> If it is a temperate moss, then yes, it will eventually need a dormancy period. 
> 
> 
> Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela


You're right, Bill. I never took into consideration that he might not live in a temperate area. XD I apologize Krispy.

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## bill

i should mention though, that temperate mosses, like our native mosses, will do well in vivs. for a while. but inevitably, i am answering a "why did my moss die?" thread.the only success i have had using local (SE PA) mosses, was to let them dry out for a few weeks, then rehydrate and grow in a growout container for a few months. i still have some growing in one of my tanks from a few years ago. but that's the only bit i still have left.

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ThatGuyWithTheFace

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## Krispy

> i should mention though, that temperate mosses, like our native mosses, will do well in vivs. for a while. but inevitably, i am answering a "why did my moss die?" thread.the only success i have had using local (SE PA) mosses, was to let them dry out for a few weeks, then rehydrate and grow in a growout container for a few months. i still have some growing in one of my tanks from a few years ago. but that's the only bit i still have left.


We also pour almost boiling water through it for bugs. I cannot remember the forum that had the writeup. No i am in SW pa. Greensburg actually. Yes the moss does look, well brownish(but not dead) from time to time. What saves the moss i think is the ultrasonic fog machine we rigged. That and the wife. If our house goes under 72f in the winter im in trouble lol. N not with the frogs... 

Sorry it takes me a while sometimes. Fighting to get my darn d/l back. That and always building stuff so i quickly pop on and off...

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

Bill called it, not sure what happened with my moss, but it turned yellow. So I added two more 6,500 K CFLs. So that'¢ 2 four foot T8s, 2 CFLS, and an LED light. All 6,500k. I hope it may turn green again. I'm hoping it's just acclimating to it's new environment. Either way, I have a lot more. I should also say that it's not Josh's Frogs fault. Yes, I know the stream is dirty. The gravel was muddy when I added it. I'll eventually siphon it out. Nothing's living in it right now.  :Stick Out Tongue:  Won't be for a while.

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## Krispy

The lights are too much. Might i suggest just a 5600k, because full spectrum is mainly uva, a 5-10.0 uvb, and your heat source ? Try a bigger fern(less direct light) and way more humidity. Moss does not like direct light, it does better under something else's shadow, possibly add a real or fake vine plant of some sort, and mist, mist, mist, moss soaks up the moisture... we harvest and grow our own moss in certain places, quite well might i add(cheaters)... Everything we have is green and lush. some bark or leaf letter under the moss will give it something to root to, feed on, and cling to(easy removal for cleaning). Let us know how it goes. Can i see your light setup btw?

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> The lights are too much. Might i suggest just a 5600k, because full spectrum is mainly uva, a 5-10.0 uvb, and your heat source ? Try a bigger fern(less direct light) and way more humidity. Moss does not like direct light, it does better under something else's shadow, possibly add a real or fake vine plant of some sort, and mist, mist, mist, moss soaks up the moisture... we harvest and grow our own moss in certain places, quite well might i add(cheaters)... Everything we have is green and lush. some bark or leaf letter under the moss will give it something to root to, feed on, and cling to(easy removal for cleaning). Let us know how it goes. Can i see your light setup btw?


Dang, seems as though I took a step in the wrong direction. Lol I have some pothos just lying around. Waiting to be used, along with my various other vivarium related projects/plants. I could use those. Like I've said before, I've never grown plants before this viv. Thanks by the way! I want to make this an arboreal tank, so I have an idea on how to create some shadows.

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## bill

The problem is not the lighting. There actually is no problem whatsoever. Sheet moss is sold in a dormant state. It needs to recover. It will green back up, it just needs time. 

As far as the lighting goes, moss will do fine in intense light as well as diffused. It will just have different growth habits. 6500-6700k is optimum for vegetative growth.  Uv light is not required and as a matter of fact, is wasted on a dart tank, due to the glass on top, sealing it. UVB is a short wave radiation that gets blocked by glass by about 95+%. UVA is a long wave radiation and only fares slightly better penetration through glass. 

Here are examples of the same moss, from the same package, under different intensities to show the different growth habits I mentioned. 
This first one is sheet moss grown under T8 6700k bulbs. Notice it is still brown, but growing very leggy
And the same moss, grown under T5HO lighting. It grows extremely compact and bright


Moss can be one of the most trying plants to grow. It requires a lot of patience. Even more so when converting aquatic mosses to a terrestrial environment. But that's a whole other topic lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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## bill

Sorry, this is a better pic of the low light moss


The two tanks sit side by side. I can take a pic of the two together this evening of you want a side by side comparison.  :Smile: 


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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## Krispy

Wow man. Idk what kind of moss they ship for you to use. Mine never looks that run down lol. Even the moss in my snake tank, all winter, the worst that happened is a brown tint for a week... 

Maybe because i pick/choose/harvest our own?

If i have time for moss pics i will. Mr Bill, should it be a new thread?

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ThatGuyWithTheFace

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## bill

That was dry, dormant moss. It always turns brown first.  It needs to recover first. Very rarely will you ever get live moss from the Viv/reptile suppliers. Even when I field collect moss and dry it out to a dormant state, it will turn brown first before it recovers, especially in a low light situation. Now, in the high light tank, the same moss never browned out. It stayed that bright, lush green and kept it's compact growth. 

A new thread for moss pics isn't a bad idea. 


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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ThatGuyWithTheFace

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> That was dry, dormant moss. It always turns brown first.  It needs to recover first. Very rarely will you ever get live moss from the Viv/reptile suppliers. Even when I field collect moss and dry it out to a dormant state, it will turn brown first before it recovers, especially in a low light situation. Now, in the high light tank, the same moss never browned out. It stayed that bright, lush green and kept it's compact growth. 
> 
> A new thread for moss pics isn't a bad idea. 
> 
> 
> Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela


That's what I assumed! I knew it wasn't sure the retailer's fault. I guess I'll just wait for it to turn green again. I wish it was as easy as java moss was! I used to have trouble keeping java moss as a carpet because it grew so much.  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

Bill, I just realized you made that post at earlier, I didn't notice before. Sorry, doctor's appointment. Anyways, that means moss will ever turn green under T8s?

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## bill

Moss will even turn green under t8's. In fact, it will turn green under cfl bulbs as well. The cfl and t8's would emit the same amount of light that would be considered shade outdoors  :Smile:  

I think lighting is one of the least understood aspects of vivariums. You start talking Led's and t5ho and people lose their minds thinking you're blasting your tank with full blown sunlight, but that is so much farther from the truth than most people realize 


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> Moss will even turn green under t8's. In fact, it will turn green under cfl bulbs as well. The cfl and t8's would emit the same amount of light that would be considered shade outdoors  
> 
> I think lighting is one of the least understood aspects of vivariums. You start talking Led's and t5ho and people lose their minds thinking you're blasting your tank with full blown sunlight, but that is so much farther from the truth than most people realize 
> 
> 
> Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela


I'm one of those people.  :Stick Out Tongue:  I'd buy a beamswork, but unemployed college students don't make much money! It's easier to just buy 10 dollar temporary lights than spend a bunch of money on one light. At least for now. XD

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## bill

Instead of wasting hard earned cash on a fixture here, and a fixture there, save the cash for one and set it aside, when you have the cash for another, set it aside. Very soon you'll have that killer light  :Wink:  
Most of my tanks right now are running with t8 shop lights (lowe's $12, bulbs $8) growth is not as fast as it would be with the more intense lights, but I am a patient person lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> Instead of wasting hard earned cash on a fixture here, and a fixture there, save the cash for one and set it aside, when you have the cash for another, set it aside. Very soon you'll have that killer light  
> Most of my tanks right now are running with t8 shop lights (lowe's $12, bulbs $8) growth is not as fast as it would be with the more intense lights, but I am a patient person lol
> 
> 
> Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela


I'm impatient and indecisive! You can tell by how many times this tank has changed. XD I posted every change on here. This is my last light fixture before the big one. These lights, other than the T8s, will probably go to my 10 gallon aquarium!

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## bill

That's why I always preach plan plan plan and stick to your plan.  :Smile: 


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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## Amy

I changed my light fixtures every couple of months before finally listening to Bill and getting the beamswork.  I wasted so much money before that!  Not just on the fixtures, but the bulbs too!  My plants are much happier and I don't have to change bulbs or worry about heat coming off my fixtures etc.

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

I'm convinced! My next light will be LED.  :Big Grin:

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

Anyone think I can just keep the stream with a little mud in it? I honestly like how it looks more now that it's muddy. The mud isn't from the soil, at least most it isn't, it's from the gravel I used. I use all purpose gravel from Lowes. One of the intended uses is fish ponds. I used this stuff in my aquarium and had no troubles, though I rinsed out all the mud.

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## bill

Yup, I'd leave it. It looks more natural that way. I never leave my water features pristine. Nature is far from pristine lol


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

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## ThatGuyWithTheFace

> Yup, I'd leave it. It looks more natural that way. I never leave my water features pristine. Nature is far from pristine lol
> 
> 
> Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela


That was my thoughts exactly! Thanks, Bill. Just wanted to be sure. XD

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## Lyda Mae or she mae not

yeah I have used the in a terrarium and plan to use it  in my next vivarium it did go brown but then it got nice and green. much better than any other moss product I have dealt with.

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