I got three bags of the Schulz sheet moss at Lowe's off the sale rack. I had it in my mind that it looked like it would work for mounting orchids, and it was pretty too! When I opened a bag, the smell of sea weed (that's been laying on the beach in the sun) was pretty loud. I ran my finger along the inside of the bag and tasted, and could detect no salt. I guess it's just the way this moss smells. Anyway I soaked some overnight, rinsed it well, and mounted a catt using some of it. The roots have grown in and over the moss with no apparent problems. It would/does make a pretty top dressing altho I've not used it in that way. .... I couldn't find anything on the net about this moss and salt, so I have continued to use it, but I still soak it first.....just cuz......;0) Pat...

Yes, sheet moss will kill your plants, and quickly . If they have only been in it for a week or two, i would quickly take them out, and wash off the whole plant with distilled or rain water thoroughly, and then let them sit in a dish of distilled or rain water until you can get more peat moss.

I do not see any problem with the set up you describe. Just what size of bark are you using? If you are concerned about aeration of the mix I would add an inert as a component to the mix. This could be large sized perlite or pumice or even styrafoam chips (packing chips). Since you did not mention depth of your mix you may want to consider using a coarse grade of charcoal on the bottom blended with a coarse inert with a depth of 1.5 to 2 inches and set into one corner of the tank a "tube" that sits on top of the bottom fill and extends just above the surface of the soil surface-it can be hidden by a piece of bark or the sheet moss. This would provide additional venting. The "tube" could be anything like even a yogurt cup with the bottom cut off.

you can buy bales of peat moss at walmart, you could pack it into a flat and you'd have a sheet of peat. ~Ryan