What is the best moss for terrariums? That’s the question most frequently asked by new aquarists who are just starting out. The answer isn’t quite as simple as sprinkling a bunch of little fake moss clumps on your terrarium and calling it a day. If you want the best looking moss for your terrarium, then you will need to take several things into consideration. It may seem like a fairly small thing, but understanding the different types of terrarium plants and moss can help greatly in making your decision.
The first thing you need to know about is what exactly terrarium mosses look like. There are two major kinds of terrarium mosses: wetland and dryland. The dryland variety of mosses grow closer to the bottom of the aquarium and wilt heavily during periods of high water activity such as during a full-blown tropical storm. Wetland mosses grow in the upper areas of the terrarium and bloom during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding. If you’re not familiar with these terms, it might sound like you’re trying to learn another language. Wetland moss terrarium plants should never be used for fish tanks as their roots can easily damage delicate biological filters.
Wetland terrarium plants can be used successfully in most cases. They will need to be divided frequently and be kept in a shallow water bowl. The most difficult type of mosses to keep in water is the red, wispy variety which can sometimes take the shape of a fish as it grows. This is especially true for inexperienced aquarists.
Another group of mosses you might encounter are the e Etsy or Java Mosses. These types are considered by many to be the best kind of mosses for use in reef aquariums. They are hardy stuff that grows well in the wild and are very easy to keep. They also tend to grow in a vertical fashion instead of spreading out horizontally like the other varieties.
There are several reasons why the Java Mosses are the best suited for reef tanks, but the primary reason why anyone would choose these plants is because they are extremely versatile. As an aquarium plant, they will grow in a wide range of habitats, but can also grow quite nicely in artificial containers. It has even been suggested that Java Mosses can survive for up to 30 years without losing their leaves. There are some conditions that you should check before you bring your terrarium plants into your home, and the most important is that you have good air circulation in the terrarium. This is essential if you want your plants to grow properly.
The primary choice when it comes to terrarium mosses is whether you are looking for something that is hypoallergenic, or one that has a natural looking pattern. Some species of the Mallow family are actually quite beautiful to look at. Some of the Java Mosses have attractive stripes running through them, while others are less attractive with a random pattern. For a beginner aquarist, I would recommend choosing one of the hardier species that you can tolerate, as this will provide a much more stable environment for your fish to live in.
Another factor to consider is the ease of maintenance. Some of the easier upkeep species of mosses are available in a kit form, while others you will have to buy individually. This shouldn’t really matter, especially if you are only setting up a few terrariums, as the cost of artificial life is generally lower than the cost of buying live plants.
If you are going to be putting the mosses in a larger tank, such as a twenty gallon or larger, you might want to think about purchasing some low maintenance plants. Many of the cheaper mosses that are available in kit form, are not very hardy and can easily be killed by too much light. On the other hand, some of the better choices for keeping the terrestrial life in terrariums are actually quite hardy and don’t need much light at all. Some of these are Terrapin Myrtles and Java Fern.