Moss carpet questions.

EimajElocin

I recently got a 20 gallon aquarium. Right now, I'm letting my tank cycle. But I was looking online and saw these realllly neat things, "Moss Carpets" I was wondering, would Java Moss work good with it? or maybe Xmas moss?

& Would I have to vacuum it? Or could I just pop some shrimp or a cory in there to clean it?

I've also seen some people mention how they're a pain to have and will dirty your tank. So should I stick with the safe route and just use regular plants?

P.S. I was planing on getting tropical fish, so currently my tank is heated at 78 F, would this affect the plant/moss?

Geomancer

Java Moss is quite normal for a tropical tank, and yes you can make a carpet out of it.

However, it can grow long ... when you see it in those breathtaking aquascapes ... usually a person has trimmed it (like you do when mowing your lawn). Personally, I'd rather use something like Dwarf Hairgrass which really does look like the grass in your yard.

You can use a siphon if you want, just be carefull not to damage the plant. Shrimp can help, with corys though they are schooling fish, you would need more than one, 4-6+ with more being better than fewer.

yyankeeyankeefan

i too have ordered some Java Moss. was thinking of just letting a patch grow for some of the fish to hide in. kind of let it grow wild and give them some extra places. will also be adding some guppies to my tank in about a week or two and figured might be a safe place for some fry to hide out. now i am doing a great big mixture of plants. some broad leaf some more grassy feeling. trying to give all the fish a great snack and a good hiding place. any suggestions on keeping all the plant life happy?

Geomancer

Check out Byron's four part guide here: A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium--Part One

Lots of information to digest in there, but it really is easier than it appears at first. A lot will depend on the type of light you have (brighter isn't always better).