DIY Moss plastic canvas strips/loops with 'unzipped' zip ties

[RuralGuppykeeper]

I just happened to improvise this idea when I was making plastic canvas loops for my moss. Materials are flexible plastic canvas(7-count I think) and zip ties.





It looks a little less tidy in the aquarium, but leaving the zip ties 'unzipped' allows me to convert the plastic canvas strip into, or from a loop, without using any scissors. It also allows me to make a 'loop' with the zip ties themselves, such as to hold the chemical-free caulking strip, to help my plastic canvas loop with the green zip ties to float abit better.



A loop made out of a zip tie to hold a small piece of chemical-free caulking strip that apparently floats very well. I got the idea to use the caulking strip from a youtube video:

10 Gallon Guppy aquarium. The plastic canvas loop in the bottom left corner has trimmed zip ties. The suction cup didn't stick, so now it's a slight weight instead.



A close-up of plastic canvas loop with trimmed zip ties and the not-so functioning old suction cup, which is now a slight 'weight'. The hole for the suction cup is 2x3 squares. The entire width of the strip or loop is 6 holes wide, but it doesn't matter as much. If one so desired, they could have an intentional weight in place of the suction cup, such as the lead strips (plant weights) wrapped on.

My intention with a working suction cup was that I could rotate the 'loop' of plastic canvas with moss to hopefully help ensure a more even growth of the moss, as apposed to 'only thriving at the very top' for light. I could set the plastic canvas loop horizontally or diagonally.

I tied the moss onto the plastic canvas with thread, hopefully the moss clings to the plastic canvas well over time.

 

[Coradee]

Clever idea, don’t forget update pics when the moss has grown in

 

[RuralGuppykeeper]

I was working with the plastic canvas strip with moss on the left side, and am tickled with how it functions. I put the plastic canvas loops vertically in the top 1st and third holes to hold a fairly short section of floating chemical-free caulking at one end (beside the filter), and happened to get the plastic canvas strip to float at a slight diagonal angle.

The other nice effect is it changes the water flow at the water surface. It was something I wanted to do, although I did so by a happy accident. Since my filter water output is essentially in the center of the tank, the short caulking piece 'funnels' the water surface flow abit before it goes around at a slower flow rate to the left. So now the left back aquarium corner is medium-flow, which the guppy fry appear to favor hanging out in. The center of the tank has the largest ripples in the water surface, even though it doesn't show up in the picture.

 

[RuralGuppykeeper]

Neither of the mosses were attaching themselves to the plastic canvas. The Christmas moss was not attaching itself to the plastic canvas underneath. The Java Moss on the floating ring of plastic canvas is also not attaching itself.
I might have to change the location of the mosses to be on the 'shaded' side, to encourage them to grow through the holes in order to grow towards the light. The Christmas Moss can be relocated to the inside of the plastic canvas strip.

 

[RuralGuppykeeper]

Update:
I rearranged the mosses. The Java Moss on the floating plastic canvas ring was flipped 'inside-out' to have all the Java Moss on the inside, in hopes that it will grow through the plastic canvas towards the indirect sunlight.

The Christmas moss (on the bottom left corner in the previous picture) was 'sandwiched' in between two rings (bent strips) of plastic canvas and secured them together with zip ties.

The 'unzipped' zip ties made it very easy to make any changes, without needing any scissors or new zip ties at all. Some of the zip ties can had a curved shape, especially when curved enough to hold the glass aquarium thermometer in one place, or to hold the chemical-free floating caulking strips.

 

[LeahsTank]

maybe 2 strips of plastic mesh with moss in between, then form the ring?

 

[RuralGuppykeeper]

Thank-you, I did something close to that, I was just giving an update to this forum thread. I already has a strip of plastic canvas formed into a ring, like my first post and two pictures. I cut the fishing line I used to tie the moss on.

Then I took a second strip, put the moss on top, and set the whole thing inside my first plastic canvas ring. So now the moss is in between the two strips of plastic canvas, both of which are in a ring shape.

Your way may be prettier, especially if the inside ring (strip) is cut shorter to be the perfect length to fit inside without as much overlap, but this was just how I happened to 'figure out' how to do it today.

 

[LeahsTank]

Thank-you, I did something close to that, I was just giving an update to this forum thread. I already has a strip of plastic canvas formed into a ring, like my first post and two pictures. I cut the fishing line I used to tie the moss on.

Then I took a second strip, put the moss on top, and set the whole thing inside my first plastic canvas ring. So now the moss is in between the two strips of plastic canvas, both of which are in a ring shape.

Your way may be prettier, especially if the inside ring (strip) is cut shorter to be the perfect length to fit inside without as much overlap, but this was just how I happened to 'figure out' how to do it today.

It shouldn’t make much difference in appearance once the moss grows in. Sounds great. Can’t wait to see photos.

 

[RuralGuppykeeper]

The Java Moss is starting to show signs of growing through the plastic canvas towards the light source.

The Christmas Moss in the ring/loop at the bottom isn't doing anything yet, but I probably accidentally turned it upside-down or sideways or something when I was rearranging it.

 

[RuralGuppykeeper]

I eliminated the 'plastic and moss sandwich' by using the 'unzipped' zip ties to secure the moss in place to one plastic canvas ring/loop.
The Java Moss is definitely growing through the plastic canvas towards the light source.

The Christmas Moss in the ring/loop at the bottom doesn't seem to be growing through at all. I don't know whether it simply needs more time or not.