Ok, whats the deal on "moss balls" ??

[dimmy32]

At a pet store, I saw some green "moss balls" on the bottom of a tank - they were selling for 5 $ each.
Why would I want to put them in my tank ?? Are they strictly for decoration ?

 

[jsoong]

It is a live plant, so will help in removing nitrates.

But yes, mostly it is for looks. People attach the moss to rocks & stuff. Or you can leave it "floating" free for a bit of the wild west tumble weed look.

 

[dimmy32]

Would you say it might out-compete green algea for nitrates ?

 

[SpeedEuphoria]

Would you say it might out-compete green algea for nitrates ?

not if its the only plant you have

 

[dimmy32]

no, i have a few freshwater plants as well, but I still get green algea on my glass. I have to scrape it off once a week, on average.
Not a big problem, but annoying.

 

[Purrbox]

Moss balls aren't actually moss, they are Cladophora which is a form of algae. It thrives in the same conditions that live plants do. In order to keep the nice round shape, they have to moved around every now and again. If not they tend to break apart and cause a big mess. They are a bit of a novelty item, and were quite the fad for awhile.

 

[dimmy32]

I seeee....then I would assume they'd absorb some of the phosphates/nitrates and stuff that algea love.

 

[Purrbox]

I seeee....then I would assume they'd absorb some of the phosphates/nitrates and stuff that algea love.

Most algae thrives when there is an imbalance in an aquarium. Cladophora is one of the few that thrives when conditions are ideal for plants, ie when all the nutrients are in balance. Plants and Cladophora both will consume Nitrate, Phosphate, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, and other Macro and Micro Nutrients.

As far as the algae on your glass goes, it's probably either GSA (green spot algae) or GDA (green dust algae). If it's hard to scrape off it's GSA and you need to up your Phosphate levels. If it's easily brushed off, then it's GDA and you need to leave it alone for a few weeks so that it can live out it's life cycle. After that you can remove it and it shouldn't come back.

 

[Dekz]

Moss balls are like $15-$20 here!

 

[dimmy32]

yeah it comes off pretty easily. If I let it go, it looks really bad - I can hardly see the fish through the green haze.
I have a fancy magnet scraper , and it works great.

 

[bs6749]

All of what Purrbox said is true and accurate. They aren't plants, rahter they are a form of algae. They will float around the tank on their own if you have enough light. You can actually see the balls pearling with oxygen if conditions are correct.

They are useful in shrimp tanks but you should NOT keep them in tanks that house goldfish as they will consume them. If they are $5 each I'd think about getting some depending on their size. That's a pretty good deal. Also, you will want to rinse them out every 2-3 weeks. Simple hold them in your hand and squeeze them as you would a stress ball. Don't worry, you won't break them, that's how you rid them of wastes and debris. Use clean water to clean them and squeeze them while they are in a solution of this clean water.

 

[gzeiger]

Where are moss balls $20? Try Ebay.

 

[bs6749]

Depends on how large they are. I can see a softball size moss ball going for $20 at a local fish store.

 

[dimmy32]

these guys are 6 $ and they're about an inch round.