Journal Many Lessons || 150x60x60cm, 140gal, Horizontal Reactor High-energy Aquascape Journal

[BenB]

When I looked at your post last night, I was on my phone and it didn't show all the commentary.

Trimming the DHG with my beard trimmer.

Your bear trimmers or some beard trimmers? You're going to start growing algae in your beard.

Stop being afraid of "nutrients". They never cause algae on their own.
Grow healthy plants, stop avoiding algae. Change your focus.

It's very difficult for me. When I look in my tank, its hard not to just see the algae. I'm re-learning. I had nice tanks years ago, but there is something different now. The light is more intense or something. I know know, light is light.... PAR is PAR, but it seems different. The difference it probably me. I just dumped in the fertz and didn't overthink back then.

• I hate moss because of how it goes everywhere and infects plants like a parasite. Also never again.

I'm with you here. You'll find in inert substrates that it attaches to them and you can never get it out without removing scoops of substrate. I had it get into/under the silicone in the corners of a tank once. I broke the tank down and Cloroxed it. It grew back.

Thanks for all the effort in educating the rest of us.
It's really helping me get back on my feet.

 

[techman81]

I hate moss because of how it goes everywhere and infects plants like a parasite. Also never again.

Yeah, it's unfortunate because I think it fits the look of scapes so well, and well, is natural. It's just impossible to control though and I find it's far more of an algae magnet than most other plants in my tanks. I plan to avoid it going forward as well with maybe one exception, at some point I want to do a Bonsai tree scape and wanted coral moss for the "leaves". It will probably be in a small scape though, and easier to maintain.

 

[Mr.Shenanagins]

I hate moss because of how it goes everywhere and infects plants like a parasite. Also never again.

Was this your experience with the pilo or all mosses in general?

Love the updates, the good, bad and the ugly. These types of journals keep this place humming.

 

[Naturescapes_Rocco]

I plan to avoid it going forward as well with maybe one exception, at some point I want to do a Bonsai tree scape and wanted coral moss for the "leaves". It will probably be in a small scape though, and easier to maintain.

Since I had such great success growing Monte Carlo as an epiphyte/rheophyte (like moss), I'm going to attempt the same with HC Cuba this time around. Harder plant to grow, but much finer leaves and smaller texture closer to moss. Both MC and HC would make awesome "bonsai" leaves!

Was this your experience with the pilo or all mosses in general?

All mosses in general. The pilo moss wasn't so bad, though I think my few months of over-dosing CSM+B killed it all off. Mini Christmas moss is way more "infecting" than pilo moss. Someday I'd like to try it again in a different style of scape!

 

[techman81]

Since I had such great success growing Monte Carlo as an epiphyte/rheophyte (like moss), I'm going to attempt the same with HC Cuba this time around. Harder plant to grow, but much finer leaves and smaller texture closer to moss. Both MC and HC would make awesome "bonsai" leaves!

My plan in my 60P Brazillian scape is to use MC over rocks as a moss substitute. I have plenty of it growing in my farm tank to pull from, otherwise, I might've tried Cuba. I'm still a bit afraid of Cuba though since it's a "harder" plant.

 

[BenB]

with maybe one exception, at some point I want to do a Bonsai tree scape and wanted coral moss for the "leaves". It will probably be in a small scape though, and easier to maintain.

This is me. I never want to mess with it again BUT... I would like to do a nice nature aquarium sometime with the wood and the moss looks so good on it.