Any MOSS usable with salamanders? read

[mary]

I like to use a live moss but don't want to spend the money it takes on the net. Can I dig out the moss that grows in my back yard and use it in some peat moss? Ive already dug some up and replanted it to see if it would work and it hasnt died as of yet. I don't see any bugs in it either at least to the naked eye.

let me know if I can and whether or not it is poison to them. It shouldnt have chemicals either because I llive in front of a forest like area.

 

[francesco]

I use moss I get in the woods near my house for my salamandra and I've never had problems with it. I change it every couple of months because it gets dirty. I don't put any soil in the terrariums because I've been told it can transmit bacterial deseases.
Ciao
Francesco

 

[stacey]

You'll have probablly have the best luck with moss if you find a variety that naturally grows on whatever you want to put it on in your enclosure. Moss directly on soil tends to die from mold unless it is very well drained. Moss would rather be too dry than too wet, as it will mold when too damp. The happiest moss I have in my tank is a piece that feel off the roof of my house. I keep in on a flat rock next to a pool of water and mist a few times a week. It's been green and mold free for several months. The salamanders and tree frog that live with it are also healthy and happy. You might try getting a book on moss gardening, I found one and it helped me figure out what I was doing wrong in the past.

stacey k,
who killed an awful lot of moss by putting it in the dirt

 

[mary]

after looking around the net for a bit, I came to the conclusion I have COMMON HAIR CAP MOSS (Polytrichum commune). It's quite attractive and easy to find. ALSO, stacey, this moss has
soil anchoring structures that closely resemble and function like roots. So soil is okay. Im unsure if it's going to be okay in peat though, by it self. Im new to gardening here. lol

mary

 

[jennifer]

Mary Ann, are you using peat moss as a substrate for salamanders? If so, it is often too acidic.

 

[mary]

should I not use peat moss (canadian kind spag.)?

should I test the peat mixed with some water and a ph test kit? It should be neutral right? I also have some jungle mix, BUT this stuff is expensive. Can I just use top soil from walmart? I know the cheaper top soil I bought for my yard is quite nasty black and sickening in the tank.

let me know jenn

 

[jennifer]

Testing the pH as you suggest is a good idea. Let it soak overnight before testing the pH of the water. Yes, you can use top soil from walmart. Or you can use a layer of cheap top soil with a thin layer of the jungle mix on top.

 

[michael]

One thing to watch out for with moss is calcium. None of the mosses like it and some of us still dust our invertebrate food items with the powders. If you do that, try not to let the food free roam over the moss, or you'll let to much calcium into the mix and the moss will go a nice yellow color and die out. Also, moss does best if transfered to about the same light level, they like it cool and moist, but with air transfer. I have a tank that gets very moist with daily ultrasonic fogging, but I have an air pump that I run a line into the tank and that circulates it nicely. I don't battle mold at all, but I do worry about it.

 

[kai]

Nah, there are plenty of moss taxa which are confined to limestone (or just about any other habitat worldwide).

So, to keep it simple, just "shop" around and give it a try with any moss you come across and let "nature" sort out the suitable candidates. OTOH, some gardening skills will come in handy to increase the success rate, too...