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.