# Planted wall



## Pippin (Sep 15, 2012)

Hi again! 
This time I have a question about a planted wall. I would like to find out what other material aside from a net/mesh can be used as a planted wall, also am I only limited to moss as plants or are there other plants that can be used? I have just put in a moss wall with Willow, Flame and Peacock moss, however I would like something a bit different. Any one have any other idea?
I have added a link below of my planted wall, as I did upload one here but it didnt seem to like it and it is not there.


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## Pippin (Sep 15, 2012)

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4300688191899


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## Pippin (Sep 15, 2012)

Erm...... (where is the wealth of knowledge that I was expecting?!?):doubt:


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Pippin, I hoped someone would answer who has more information than I do. The Dutch aquarists usually cover the back and two sides of their tanks with a black rigid foam material, then grow mosses and other plants on that. I don't know exactly what material they use, or if it is available in this country.

You could use one of the molded in-tank backgrounds sold for aquaria. These are rather pricey, but some of them look pretty good. And any that are rough would allow the growth of plants.

To see a list of other species you could grow on a planted wall, go to the Plant Finder, and under "aquascape placement" pick "epiphyte". I know the Dutch are especially fond of _Anubias barteri nana_ 'Petite'.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi Michael,

Christel Kasselmann shared with us Saturday night that she uses thin Styrofoam sheets planted black with non-toxic paint, allowed to dry, attach to glass with a couple of dabs of sealant per sheet. She attaches Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern) rhizomes and Anubias rhizomes to the sheets with paper clips bent into a "u".


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Michael,
> 
> Christel Kasselmann shared with us Saturday night that she uses thin Styrofoam sheets planted black with non-toxic paint, allowed to dry, attach to glass with a couple of dabs of sealant per sheet. She attaches Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern) rhizomes and Anubias rhizomes to the sheets with paper clips bent into a "u".


Roy, you beat me to it!


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## Transposon (Jul 16, 2005)

I've seen background made of fiberglass and epoxy... but I think Styrofoam is still more workable. Depending what kind of effect you want to achieve, expandable foam plus pvc pipes as support can also create some realistic rock background.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Michael,
> 
> Christel Kasselmann shared with us Saturday night that she uses thin Styrofoam sheets planted black with non-toxic paint, allowed to dry, attach to glass with a couple of dabs of sealant per sheet. She attaches Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern) rhizomes and Anubias rhizomes to the sheets with paper clips bent into a "u".


Simple, elegant, easy to do, and inexpensive!


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Tex Gal said:


> Roy, you beat me to it!


lol Tex Gal, that was my plan!

I truly hope you and Tex Guy enjoyed the evening at GSAS; thank you so much for coming up and joining us for the Christel Kasselmann presentation! The event was the culmination of 18 months of hard work by a dedicated and talented team. I was talking with Mary yesterday and she said that you two had lunch and she answered a lot of questions you had about our club structure and operations.

Many of us on the Board believe that a strong club helps make for a strong hobby locally both with members and local aquarium shops; and with our Philanthropy committee actively placing aquariums in schools and exposing youngsters to the wonders of our hobby we are helping groom the next generation of hobbyists.

Again, it was a pleasure meeting you both in person.
-Roy


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

First of all, most Dutch planted walls are plants attached to styrofoam backpanels like this:
http://shop.johnnys-petshop.be/aquarium-juwel-achterwand-aquarium

You can use small pushpins or nails till the rhizome has a firm hold. Moss, anubias and java fern can also be attached using non toxic superglue (look in a lfs with reef equipment) as well. Ones the moss has attached (covered the back) you can plant almost anything on the back. Two nice exampled I've seen used: Hydrocotyle tripartita and glosso. It doesn't anchor to the background, but roots through the moss which is anchored to the back.

Javafern, moss and tripartita example: http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx209/haco2401/IMG_2786.jpg


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## JEilerts (Jul 6, 2012)

These are really a cool idea! I am thinking about creating a mold and then using spray foam to form the wall. I imagine if it was sprayed with a silicone releasing agent (or even cooking spray!) that it would come out in one piece. I have made the moss walls with the plastic mesh before, but I think I like the idea of these better, since larger things can be attached directly to them!

ETA: I just did a quick search and found some in different textures by Marina. Might be a worthwhile investment for my husband's nano!


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## JEilerts (Jul 6, 2012)

Okay, now I'm super excited about these! I found one on Amazon for $16 with free shipping via Amazon Prime. Anyone interested in splitting one for their nano, too? They measure approximately 16" x 24".


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Mattenfilter or Poret. 
This is a sturdy plastic that looks kinda like a plate of spaghetti, except there are gaps between the strands. There are several material sizes and densities. The denser materials have finer strands, and these finer strands are closer together. One of the coarsest has strands that might be 1/8" diameter, and larger gaps. 
The medium or finer ones are best for aquarium use. 

Simple strings of plants like moss can just be tucked into the gaps, or you can cut a few strands of the Poret, a little X in the material, to place things like Java Fern, Anubias or Bolbitis. 

These materials are often used as a filter, so look up Hamburg Mattenfilter for more ideas and some pics of this product. 

It is available in limited sizes and densities in some fish and pond stores, they could probably order you anything you want. It is available on line. You can get pre-cut pieces for certain pond filter models, but for our use a sheet is better. 
Takes a sharp knife to cut it, but even the thickest stranded product can be shaped with tools available to most of us. I used a freshly sharpened pocket knife.


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## K Randall (Nov 23, 2004)

Cork or cork bark tiles also work well AS LONG AS you don't have bushy nose plecos (or other wood eaters) in the tank. The bushy noses just love the stuff and rasp it to nothing pretty quickly.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

My Royal Pleco did a really good job of eating oak bark, too. Several of the Loricariads seem to really like it. 
I have the bark of Blue Oak (_Quercus douglasii_) in several tanks. Very thick, chunky pieces. The Royal shaved it down so thin it cracked when I touched it. 
Cork is another species of Oak (_Quercus suber_)


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## xenxes (Aug 1, 2012)

Wall: gutter guard (Lowes), stainless steel (Amazon)

Plants: any kind of epiphytes, java fern, anubias, liverwort (riccia is messy though), any kind of moss


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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

I just recently did a back wall with expanding foam. While it was wet I dumped a bunch of peat moss particles on it and let it dry that way.


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## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

A few years ago I started this tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=82712

I used cork panels to cover the back wall in my 180. Originally it was planted with moss and Needle Leaf Java. Later on I used to plant Anubias b. nana petite and micro, which I periodically harvest for sale.


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

edwardn said:


> A few years ago I started this tank http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=82712 I used cork panels to cover the back wall in my 180.


That's a nice back wall! I'd like to find similar panels somewhere.

My experience with the flat, pressed, manufactured cork (like a bulletin board):
* It's clearly not realistic, but is not distracting either. I used it to cover the mirror backing.
* Since I used it on the inside of the glass, I didn't expect it to last forever. It started deteriorating after two years, and now after three you can start to see the mirror through it in spots. I had to add a canister filter primarily to clear up the cork particles.

So, I too am looking for a new backing like the ones in this thread. I tried the plastic mesh as a moss wall, but lost several small fish which got trapped behind it.


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## edwardn (Nov 8, 2008)

ObiQuiet said:


> That's a nice back wall! I'd like to find similar panels somewhere.
> 
> My experience with the flat, pressed, manufactured cork (like a bulletin board):
> * It's clearly not realistic, but is not distracting either. I used it to cover the mirror backing.
> ...


I bought the cork panel here: http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...zOjE6IjAiO3M6ODoiU2VhcmNoX3kiO3M6MToiMCI7fQ==


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

Thank you for the link to the cork! Maybe they are rough enough on the edges to be "seamlessly" overlapped?

As for options in foam, there are at least three distinct types:

Mattenfilter, as seen here: http://www.tlh-info.de/graphics/bauanleitung_eckhmf_07.jpg
This is 10ppi, but still strikes me as pretty dense for moss. Good for pinning, though. This is what Swisstropicals.com sells.

Then, what I consider "reticulated foam", shown here:
http://www.frostytech.com/isound/soundmaterial_36.jpg
This is VERY porous (10 ppi), and seems ideal for background material, eg. for moss walls

http://www.newenglandfoam.com/polyester.html has a nice comparison of the ppi numbers at the bottom of the page.

Finally, there is the pile-of-spaghetti Spawntex Spawning Mat:
http://www.aquaticeco.com/images/subcategories/medium/SM2.jpg

What are people's thoughts and experience with these for a background?


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