$ Tree Spanish Moss, Background build?

[CMPatton]

Okay so I went out & bought all the supplies to build a removable background out of styrofoam, magnets & pond foam. First off while buying small river rocks at the $ Tree I also found some brown not grey colored (decorative) spanish moss. So my question is would this be safe to tuck around the plants I put in my Vivarium & could I press it into the background along with the coco fiber, or would it not be as durable? Should I trade in the brown(possibly dyed) moss for the grey moss? Also while I was at the pond supply store purchasing my supplies, I explained to the gentleman helping me how I was going to build my background & he asked me why I would need the silicone at all, considering that the coco fiber would stick directly to the pond foam? Now I'm wondering why would you add another toxic substance to the foam if it's already sticky enough to apply the coco fiber? Also as a side note would it be safe to add lichens & those woody mushroom type things that grow on trees into my vivarium? How could I rid them of pests like mites etc & not kill the lichen or mushroom? Oh & one other thing I LOVE my crested Gecko Blix! He's so cute.

[Treebiscuit]

"Spanish moss" is a bromeliad (air plant), and the ones you can get at dollar stores are dead (and, you're right, possibly dyed). Best not to use the dyed ones. As for the regular ones, they will degrade over time in a moist environment, just like the dead leaves of other plants. If you can get live Spanish moss, it would be a good plant for a nice & moist gecko enclosure.

Lichens -- they might be OK, they might not. Some may appear dead for all intents and purposes, but they can revive with the addition of water. That's not a big problem unless you are allergic to spores -- in which case, avoid lichens.

Shelf fungi should be fine, even ones you collect locally. They are non-toxic to touch and most are non-toxic to eat as well, though they have a texture like cardboard. Once they're well-dried, they should have already spread their spores and be relatively spore-free. If you find one you like and it's still alive (moist along the outer edge), it will die when detached from the wood it's growing on -- the "shelf" is just the fruiting body of a larger fungus that gets its nutrients from rotting wood. It's still better to choose one that's already dead/dry if you are concerned about spores being released.

Shelf fungi can be baked at a very low temperature for several hours to make sure that any hitchhikers are killed. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn. I wouldn't boil these -- depending on the species, they can get slimy.

Silicone aquarium sealant is also non-toxic once it's dry. You have to apply it in a well-ventilated place (preferably outdoors) and let it dry for around 24 h (check the package) before it's safe for creatures.

Good luck!

[louiedog32]

If you still want to use the moss idea for your enclosure but cannot get live spanish moss then just pick some sphagnum moss up at your local nursery or even at a local hardware store with a garden center such as lowe's or home depot.

[CMPatton]

Thanks for the advice on the moss. My main concern is toxicity & impaction from him accidently ingesting it. I'd like to use some moss to keep the plants moist, but I've heard good & bad things about spanish moss & sphagnum as well. I also didn't know HD & Lowe's carried mosses. Don't know if I am allergic to spores, thinking I'd rather not find out. lol I made my own version of a magnaturals feed & water ledge this evening & started on my homemade (magnetic) background too. I'm super excited to see how they turn out! I got very lucky & found almost all of my supplies for both projects at half the cost! It was awesome!! Thanks again for the great feedback & advice.