darkangel Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 The project is on hold for just a bit. I noticed today the hood on this tank kinda smells like burnt electrical and occasionally the bulb flicks out, then back on. The hood is only eight months old but even so I'm going to discontinue using it until I can find a replacement. For now the moss is sitting in a floating nursery in my 55g. : ) Not sure what to do with the fry yet, but sitting in the dark for now won't hurt.In about a week a friend is coming home from China and will be taking her bettas back so one of my 10gs will be empty. I'll put the moss wall in there instead. This development did give me a chance to realize something: if I have to staple the moss to the cork, and silicone the cork to the back of the tank...how do I keep the moss from drying out? If I silicone before attaching the moss, how do I get the staples in? So, I'm thinking I may have to use thumbtacks instead... If you are using the screw in compact flourescent bulbs somtimes the bulbs will get really hot and start to melt the base of the bulb giving you that burnt electrical smell. Try changing out the bulbs, and if thats not the problem, there is not much to the wiring on those hoods. The cord comes in and one wire goes to the switch and one goes to the light, and a second wire comes off the switch to the light. Take it apart and check the connections, you will be able to tell if the connections are melted or loose, and if you are unsure of what to do you can work with one wire at a time. Just remember to unplug the light before doing any work on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesp Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 If you staple on the moss, then silicone the cork in, then I think you could just keep a lid on the tank and spray it down with water like half a dozen times a day to keep the tank moist and it should be ok. Would it ruin the silicone to keep a couple inches of water in there below the silicone line for added moisture? Maybe do a test on this moss first to see how it holds up out of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shai Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 If you are using the screw in compact flourescent bulbs somtimes the bulbs will get really hot and start to melt the base of the bulb giving you that burnt electrical smell.That's interesting. It is a screw-in CF. Doesn't sound too bad, I'll check it out!keep a lid on the tank and spray it down with water like half a dozen times a day to keep the tank moist and it should be ok. Would it ruin the silicone to keep a couple inches of water in there below the silicone line for added moisture? Maybe do a test on this moss first to see how it holds up out of water.I don't think the silicone will cure properly if the tank has moisture in it or a lot of humidity, but I haven't worked with silicone a lot so I don't know for sure. It's Christmas moss so it will not hold up out of the water for very long.I think thumbtacks will be an all right alternative (the brass/aluminum ones with the flat heads). If the stems are too long for the thickness of the cork I can probably clip them off with wire cutters. They only have to stick in enough to hold the moss on until it attaches itself, and the head of the thumbtack will provide more "lip" to catch the moss under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brp4e Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 You could use this stuff called ecoweb which is ph neutral and doesnt decompose and its great for growing plants. You can find it here.. https://www.firstrays.com/cgi/cart/commerce.cgi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oneiroid Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 You can use Slo-Zap coral glue, or krazy glue to stick the moss on. I've used krazy glue to stick all kinds of moss to a lot of various structures in the aquarium with excellent success. I would go this route over putting any kind of metal pieces in the water (staples, tacks, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 (edited) You can use Slo-Zap coral glue, or krazy glue to stick the moss on. I've used krazy glue to stick all kinds of moss to a lot of various structures in the aquarium with excellent success. I would go this route over putting any kind of metal pieces in the water (staples, tacks, etc). What do you glue your moss to, to create the wall, just the cork? Edited October 21, 2009 by jvision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oneiroid Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 You can use Slo-Zap coral glue, or krazy glue to stick the moss on. I've used krazy glue to stick all kinds of moss to a lot of various structures in the aquarium with excellent success. I would go this route over putting any kind of metal pieces in the water (staples, tacks, etc). What do you glue your moss to, to create the wall, just the cork? Sure, glue it to your cork, glue it to your coconut huts, glue it to your hardscape and driftwood, glue it to your snails and fingers. Krazy glue and the coral glues use the same adhesive compounds so both are safe, but Krazy glue is krazy cheap. Also, you can get Krazy Glue 'pen' and 'precision tip' applicators for strategic placement of fissiden leaves. oh yes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shai Posted October 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Interesting idea! Using glue would eliminate the problem of waiting for the silicone to properly cure on the back of the tank. As it happens, I finally have opportunity to start this project... My friend's bettas finally went home. But now I'm contemplating getting a breeder tank and dividing it, and having the moss wall span the entire back of that tank instead. In the time since I got the moss and now, it's grown quite a lot in the nursery! To further complicate matters, I think I want to get a canister filter and somehow use spraybars to ensure there is filter input and output in each compartment. Ah, the plans, the plans... Most likely it'll all have to wait until after I get back from Vegas in November though. I don't think I want to start tearing things apart quite yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baos Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Just an idea I had a while back. Maybe using small screens with a metal center and then a strong magnet on the back side of the glass. Nothing would get trapped behind the screens, and the moss wall could always be removed if you decided you didn't want it at a later date. Also small fish wouldn't get trapped behind it but could use it as a hiding place. You could also move the moss on rotation if it wasn't growing good in some areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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