spanish moss /sphagnum moss

[Tammy]

are spanish moss and sphagnum moss the same thing? seem some at wally world today but wasn't sure. doyou just get it wet then, if it is the same thng? said it was made from aspen...

[Smulkin]

They are very different. Spanish moss (which I think might be a bromeliad?) will mold/mildew pretty effortlessly when compared to sphagnum (Ph balance).

Here's a little Sphagnum PI:

http://www.mosserlee.com/whatis.html


(in summary - avoid spanish moss if there is to be any moisture involved. Are you using this for BPs?)

[mlededee]

i'd avoid spanish moss in general. i live in coastal georgia where everything is covered in spanish moss and while at times it looks pretty it is filthy, moldy, filled with bugs and the occassional anole (the one good thing that lives in it ). hopefully any spanish moss that you find bagged in a store has gone through some sort of disinfection/denastification process, but i'd rather be safe than sorry having seen the nastiness of it first hand.

[wolfy-hound]

The bags of spanish moss sold in store is sterilized... but not for use with reptiles. You can't be sure what sort of insecticides were used to kill the ever-present mites and bugs.
I have taken spanish moss down myself, sprayed it with PAM and then used it in a reptile enclosure. It does have a tendancy to mold however, and I totally reccomend getting the spagum type instead.
Wolfy