Tying Moss to Tiles/Slates...

[Dean]

This is just a quick how to on tying moss to tiles.

Need

Tiles/Slate.

Cotton String.

Moss.

first get your self some tiles or slate of a size that you are happy with.

i used a 5x5 porcelain tile for this example.

lay the tiles out in preparation for moss.

then add a covering of moss that you want to grow. I used Mini riccia for this example.

now depending on what moss you are tying on you need to adjust how close your threads are tied together.

as Mini Riccia is very fine, i tied it very close together.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]251[/ATTACH]

and this is an example of how close i tied the other moss

Singapore moss

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US Fissiddens

[ATTACH=CONFIG]253[/ATTACH]

and after a few hours of tying and a few rolls of cotton this is what you get :)

[Heavyd]

Nice one Dean. Therapy work for you lol

[Dean]

lol, yes. its my way to relax :)

[Sprae]

I think this should be a sticky!

[Guest Benny]

I think this should be a sticky!

Done! Dean has more of these gems coming...

[lachie1998]

wow nice Dean, thats alot of moss. did you count how many tiles there are?

[Dean]

thanks for the sticky Benny, lol i was going to do that later myself :) but you beat me!

@lachie, yes its an old photo and the that tank is now full with 350 tiles/moss

i still have 3 more tanks that size to fill when i get the time :)

[Heavyd]

Wow! 350 that's huge. Think of all the shrimplet goodness that can hide lol

[Loach]

You area patient man Dean! I hope you start selling the tiles cut to size on your website!

[Dean]

@ HeavyD lol, the cherry shrimp in that tank are very happy, i keep trying to get them all out but cant catch them all.

@ Loach, i might sell a few but moss takes so long to grow and every time they start to look good i use them in a tank :)

i will eventually run out of tank space for them and need to sell them so it will happen eventually .

[Loach]

@ HeavyD lol' date=' the cherry shrimp in that tank are very happy, i keep trying to get them all out but cant catch them all.

@ Loach, i might sell a few but moss takes so long to grow and every time they start to look good i use them in a tank :)

i will eventually run out of tank space for them and need to sell them so it will happen eventually .[/quote']

Dean, I mean the raw tiles :)

I dont have access to a tile cutter nor am i a tiler! The moss, with these great instructions i can do myself ;)

[Dean]

ok, here is a little secret that everyone can use!!!

Step 1. go to your local tile shop

Step 2. ask for some 50x50 (5x5) mosaic tiles on sheets as a sample because your tiling your pool/ house/ what ever.

or say your boss sent you down to see if they had any leftovers of the above that you could use to do some repairs etc.

if its left over stock or old/ discontinued stock they will either give it to you for free or super cheep.

just make your story convincing :) and remember there are lots of tile shops in most areas so visit a few :)

Step 3. if they are on mesh backings, just soak them in a bucket for 24 hrs and give them a scrub to get any mesh glue or

contaminants off them and your good to go.

[yowie05]

hey Dean thx mate. is a great writeup. really answers the question i posted ealier

[Gbang]

mr dean can you please shows ur more pics of the moss and what they look like when they are more grown? amazing btw :)

[brenkirk]

What kind of tile would be best? Glazed or unglazed?

[Loach]

What kind of tile would be best? Glazed or unglazed?

Not sure if moss woud attach to a glazed tile. I have also heard slate tiles work well.

[Dean]

@ yowie, no prob mate. thought it was a better answer than just writing yes or no on your thread :)

@gbang, no prob as soon as i get a little time i will.

@Brenkirk, un-glazed for sure, the more rough the surface the better grip the moss gets and you can then remove the cotton and it looks nice and clean.

@loach, your on the money, and slate works very well indeed. just myself i found it easier to use tiles as i didnt need to cut them :)

[lorby]

Great DIY guide! And you have a very impressive moss growing setup!!! I would love to see a pic of all the tanks to get an idea of the scale of operations!! :P

[fishmosy]

Tried this out tonight. Worked well for the ricca I tied. Great tip, thanks Dean.

[tangfreak]

Mite be a silly question but how do u no wen to take the cotton of .cheers who ever answers

[BlueBolts]

Mite be a silly question but how do u no wen to take the cotton of .cheers who ever answers

There's no such thing as a silly question..... You just leave the string on, and the moss will just grow over it, and completely hide it.

[Squiggle]

Awesome write up Dean, love your work! :encouragement:

[Aquathumb]

Nice write-up dean! I have not thought to use an unglazed tile before! it will defiantly give that a go

For those interested, Here is a video I made last month on another method using slate and mesh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Igf9efoWLU

[Neo-shrimp]

Thanks for the video Aquathumb....Your technique & demonstration certainly make DIY moss slate look like fun & easy...Cheers

[Squiggle]

Very cool Aquathumb, you make it look so easy :encouragement: