# what kind of mesh?



## misterchengmoua (Dec 22, 2005)

im looking to get some mesh for some moss type plants. what kind works best? it is not for a wall. just some mats here and there. is there a preference between plastic and metal? im hoping for something that has a bit of weight to it but at the same time, wont rust. any ideas?


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## Freshwater (Oct 22, 2007)

Hey Mister,

I've tried several methods, from the plastic mesh screens that are stiff, to my favorite... hair nets. I like the using hair nets rapped around flat rock, I use slate mostly. But sometime I use round rocks as well.

I've used this method with Java moss, and after a little while the moss attaches itself to the rock and the hair net can be removed.

I am currently using it with both Riccia, and Riccia Japanese, works great! I recommend the "blond" nets over the black BTW.

You can see all the individual net rapped rocks with Riccia in the foreground, and dead center just past the row of Riccia you can see one of my java moss rocks. Though the java is a little dark in this shot. 


Still waiting for my background to fill in.


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## uglybuckling (Jun 28, 2004)

I love rocks with netting. For me they are far easier to work with than metal or plastic mesh. In addition they create that neat "lumpy-bumpy" look that you see in Freshwater's tank above. 

I went to Wal-Mart and bought a $2 Luffa (not sure on the spelling, but it's a sort of sponge poofball thing), and pulled it apart into a TON of appropriately-sized nylon netting, which has worked great. I use small 4" zip ties underneath the rocks to hold the netting over the riccia. And yes, Freshwater is right-the lighter colors of netting contrast with the rock but not with the riccia itself, and eventually they wind up looking more natural than black netting. 

If you really want to use mesh, though, I've found that a bottom layer of stainless steel with a top layer of netting works better than two layers of plastic or two layers of stainless steel.


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## Martin Schellinck (Jul 25, 2006)

I agree with using the rocks w/ a loofah, but I also use stainless steel mesh with fishing line if you want to keep the plant as low to the substrate as possible.


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