# String/thread for Moss Wall



## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Was wondering if the common thread used stitch cloths is OK to use in a tank? like the common black or white string? Will it be safe when it deteriorates? If not should i just use fishing line? I would rather use string which will just dissolve in a few weeks rather than something that will always be there, but then again it will be covered/not visible eventually anyways.
Any thoughts?


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

i've read about and have used cotton thread (plain sowing thread) to fix ferns to rocks/sticks. i would't use coloured thread though because of the threat of bleeding dye/ink/whatever. the cotton thread holding my ferns in place is suppose to degrade (hopefully when the ferns have a solid hold) without harming anything in my tank.

Maybe someone with a little more experience will have something different to say, though.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Yea thats what i thought, so would plain white thread be undyed?


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

yeah, that or it's bleached. that's what worried me but i couldn't find any info on whether or not white thread is bleached. 

although there's gotta be some supply store which could provide thread designed for aquarium work, so you could be absolutely sure. but i would probably bet on white sowing thread to be safe.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Yea, i didnt even think of bleach in the white thread tbh lol! I think what il do, unless i hear otherwise about it is run/rinse the white thread under water for abit and see if it losses its colouring, if not then it ought to be safe.
Heh, gonna do some big aquascaping today  Its gonna be fun and thought i might try a moss wall or moss post or something.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Hmm, seems we only have polester, any problems with that?


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

polyester's going to last a whole heckuva lot longer in your tank than straight up cotton would. so if your looking for the string to degrade it might be best to pick some up. otherwise, polyester is created with plant material and polycarbonates, which are pretty benign so i doudt there would be much ill effect, if any, to your tank.

how big's the tank? i imagine that if there were any ill properties in the thread the amount of water would kind of nullify it.

man i hope someone else weighs in on this "thread". 

/had to throw that pun out there.


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Thanks for the imput, someone on a different forum also gave some advice and polyester seems to be just fine, takes longer than cotton to decay, but thats fine b/c the moss will cover it easily.
lol yea, i was just itching to make a pun joke about it also 
Maybe JRS will add something to this at somepoint, and if theres a problem i can always just replace it, or if its fine thats even better  
The tank is my 130g, so im not to worried about such a small amount polluting it, i doubt that common thread would have anything highly toxic in it.(i hope lol )


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## twoheadedfish (May 10, 2008)

yeah, i bet you'll be fine. 

come to think of it, my dad (who's batshit crazy) once sowed up his own finger with common sowing thread. he doused that stuff in peroxide, the thread totally fell apart, but he didn't get infected


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

Here is a thread that I started on it. I use staplesl they have no negative impact on the fish or water chemistry from what I see.

http://www.kwas.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=7678


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

Yeah, iv read that one awhile ago. The reason i was asking about the string was because im attaching/ attached the moss onto a rock. Kinda hard to staple or put mesh onto it


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## jrs (Mar 18, 2006)

People seem to like to use hairnets when attaching moss and riccia to rocks. I dont like that because I have had BN plecos get their gills stuck in it. I just use cotton thread the same colour as the moss or the rock.


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Hi since I have some experience with cotton thread I make Quilts, it does not leach color make sure it is 100% cotton I get mine at Walmart it about $5.00 a spool. Hope this helps Pat.


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## Katalyst (Jul 29, 2007)

Pleco's will also chew right through thread, rope-just about anything....I tried attaching a huge piece of pellia to a few stones and it was same every time. I'd always find them chewing and a few days later floating pellia. The shrimp now have the pellia in their tank and they love it.


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