sphagnum moss

[expiredgummiworm]

is there a specific type of sphagnum moss i should use? i found an indoor one, and an outdoor one that holds 20 of its weight in water. oh, and i also found organic peat moss.
suggestions?

 

[Yvonne G]

Don't use peat moss - too acidic.

I would guess that you'd want the indoor stuff.

 

[Kristina]

I use the Mosser Lee brand, it comes in a big bale in a bag. I buy it from Home Depot.

Some people also use the stuff from Carolina Pet Supply. http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/ca...ath=68&zenid=0b4baea002f5d5ab175a02f23a775ee6

 

[terryo]

This is the only moss that I use for inside the hides, also for my boxies to dig in. I hate the Mosser Lee. It has sticks and junk in it. The Carolina one is so soft and when you wet it, it's so fluffy. Great for inside the hides.
http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68&products_id=282

 

[expiredgummiworm]

so, indoor kind it is?

 

[jackrat]

I use the Mosser Lee,also.Can't say enough good things about it.Great stuff.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

We have never used it, however I know guys that use Mosser Lee and seem to like it.

 

[lobovasco]

my guys love new zealand moss, they dig into it.

 

[Tom]

This is a confusing mess. There is sphagnum peat moss, peat moss, sphagnum moss, Canadian peat, Canadian sphagnum moss, etc... These are all different products. I think what you are asking about is the long fibered stuff that looks like clumps of small ferns, right? Not the stuff that looks like dirt or soil.

Are you using it for substrate or to stuff your humid hide box. Or something else? I buy my long fibered stuff from OSH.

 

[DocNezzy]

I use the new zealand moss. Mine love it. It holds moisture pretty well, if your MVB isn't too close. It dries everything up pretty quick if it is. Hope that helps.

 

[expiredgummiworm]

This is a confusing mess. There is sphagnum peat moss, peat moss, sphagnum moss, Canadian peat, Canadian sphagnum moss, etc... These are all different products. I think what you are asking about is the long fibered stuff that looks like clumps of small ferns, right? Not the stuff that looks like dirt or soil.

Are you using it for substrate or to stuff your humid hide box. Or something else? I buy my long fibered stuff from OSH.

i wanna use the moss for a hide. i have a wide selection to choose from where i work. theres a million kinds like you said. i was asking about using indoor or outdoor sphagnum. but what seems to work the best?

 

[John]

Don't use peat moss - too acidic.

I would guess that you'd want the indoor stuff.

Yvonne are you talking about the canadian shagnum peat?

 

[GBtortoises]

Sphagnum and peat are slightly different products from the same plant. The difference between the two is that Sphagnum is the new, fresh green growth of the plant that is seen growing on top and peat is considered the decaying growth that is directly under the new growth. The new growth sphagnum will retain moisture, but also shed it quicker than peat. Peat when saturated holds the moisture much longer but also will turn to a crumbling, dry, dusty mass if not kept moistened.
In some of the spots where I pick the new sphagnum growth is generally 2-3" thick while the peat below it can be as thick as 6-8" before it actually turns into soil. Not all sphagnum grows in bogs either. Many of the areas that I pick are along shaded tree lines where fields meet forest. But the areas where it grows in a bog or very wet field, it's always much more dense, thicker and abundant.
All the different sphagnum and peat products that you're all talking about above, regardless of packaging, are all essentially the same stuff. Anybody that lives in the north, east or south in a non-urban area can likely find it growing around where they live pretty easily. It's a very common plant. It has great filtration properties, but is acidic and is great for gardening and plants!

 

[terryo]

I see that the one from CarolinaPetSupply is New zealand moss. It's much softer and fluffier than the Mosser Lee, and that's why I like it in the hides. I think it's a little more money than the Mosser Lee.

 

[luke]

Sphagnum and peat are slightly different products from the same plant. The difference between the two is that Sphagnum is the new, fresh green growth of the plant that is seen growing on top and peat is considered the decaying growth that is directly under the new growth. The new growth sphagnum will retain moisture, but also shed it quicker than peat. Peat when saturated holds the moisture much longer but also will turn to a crumbling, dry, dusty mass if not kept moistened.
In some of the spots where I pick the new sphagnum growth is generally 2-3" thick while the peat below it can be as thick as 6-8" before it actually turns into soil. Not all sphagnum grows in bogs either. Many of the areas that I pick are along shaded tree lines where fields meet forest. But the areas where it grows in a bog or very wet field, it's always much more dense, thicker and abundant.
All the different sphagnum and peat products that you're all talking about above, regardless of packaging, are all essentially the same stuff. Anybody that lives in the north, east or south in a non-urban area can likely find it growing around where they live pretty easily. It's a very common plant. It has great filtration properties, but is acidic and is great for gardening and plants!

This really helps.

I use Mosser Lee long fiber too. I use it as the top layer of substrate for my redfoots (under it is an inch or two of potmix/cochusk). It holds a lot of water and the torts love to crawl up into it for hiding. They spend most of their time in their humidity box stuffed full of it.

I use it in the humid hides of my Leo torts, but they dont hide as often as my redfoots. They do seem to like the humidity boost of having the stuff as a top layer with potmix/cochusk under it.