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Wild Moss Exchange Program


RyeGuy411

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I have recently started collecting and converting a few local mosses to submerged growth for my shrimp tanks.  I am very interested in seeing if other people around the US or the world would like to start exchanging locally collected mosses from the wild. I am particularly interested in some wild mosses from northern California, Washington or Oregon. Please pm me if anyone is interested in joining me in this collaboration project. I currently have three very promising mosses in the works.

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How are the mosses doing that you have converted so far? How long did it take for your local mosses to convert to submerged growth. I know that some convert faster than others. From my experience some are painfully slow. I collected some from the sierras last fall. I'll have to check on them and get back to you.

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Two of them have converted right away, one is growing super fast and I already added to my tank im cycling. Another one is growing well but its extremely tiny in diameter. I started converting another moss this weekend that looks more like star moss, that one I will try to convert slower than the first two. I can post current pics of all three tomorrow. 

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I really thought there would be more interest in this. I started thinking about how much people including me can spend on moss that were collected in the wild somewhere and adapted to aquariums.  Looks like its just you and me Andy, I will try a hiking trip to the Adirondack mountains just north of me and I know there are some incredible mosses there. I also ordered a jewelers loupe and a identification guide for mosses of the northeast so I can hopefully send some out with tentative ID's.

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question not to take your topic off topic but how are you getting them to survive in water every time I try they just die. I would be entrusted in this if I could success fully keep them in water.

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question not to take your topic off topic but how are you getting them to survive in water every time I try they just die. I would be entrusted in this if I could success fully keep them in water.

 

Same here. I've found many interesting mosses up here in British Columbia but I've never been able to convert them.

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Rye, I would be interested in this, but also would have a lot to learn about what I'm looking for in my geographical area, as well as how to best take samples and then convert to submerged growth.

 

I'm out fishing a lot and see a lot of interesting moss, and would love to be able to add something to your and my collection if there are any specific varieties that I should be looking for in Missouri.

 

I'll PM you to see if you can give me some quick education or direct me toward specific articles about how to gather wild mosses and identify if they are good candidates for a submerged transition.

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All three of the mosses I am working with I found completely terrestrial not even near water. The first I just pulled up a couple clumps, then I rinsed them really well under tap water then I let them float in a shallow container with a little water in the bottom. I let them sit like that for about a week or two near a light but not bright. Then after I started seeing new growth I washed them again cut off any dead parts or dirt then attached them to lavas rocks and SS mesh.

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I am getting a field guide to wild mosses of Pennsylvania and the surrounding states tonight and im hoping to try and identify these or at least get close. I am very excited to see examples of moss that could be found locally. I have never in my life actually taken the time to get close and inspect any moss I have seen in the woods.

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Looking for specific moss would not be practical. My best suggestion would be to go somewhere dark and moist or on the banks of a stream or near a waterfall and start looking around. Just collect some samples you see growing on rocks, trees, or rotten logs. Moss growing right on the banks of a stream would be easier to convert since they might be submerged at some times when the water level is high.

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1eafa8ba9f9e3cb1bba6ab9905d23d5d.jpghere is some moss I keep in my terrarium. I can't remember the name of it. I'll try and keep some submerged and let you know how it does. If anyone knows the name of this please chime in. My memory bank is on overload this week. [emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

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Im wondering how many of the purely terrestrial type mosses will convert. The star moss Im trying is a terrestrial moss but looks very promising growing emmersed, it is already putting out new growth and it has only been 5 days.

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