Saltwater & Reef

TomK2 · 01-31-2005, 06:39 PM

"algae defeating moss balls" was what the fish tank said at a not so local LFS. It was too crowded to wait for a fish guy to ask questions. It was a small furry green plant, golf ball sized, sitting in the bottom of several tanks. any idea what this was?

czcz · 01-31-2005, 06:47 PM

Marimo balls aka Moss balls. http://aquariumplant.com/cgi-bin/cart/mi268.html

Menagerie · 01-31-2005, 06:51 PM

That's a moss ball. I suppose it "defeats" algae because it takes up the nutrients and starves out the algae.

TomK2 · 01-31-2005, 07:35 PM

Very Interesting. Anyone ever put them in a tank? Would a pleco just eat it? Could it actually be a type of plant that even I could keep?

Toirtis · 01-31-2005, 07:40 PM

They do great in tanks...I am not sure about how they would do with a pleco.

czcz · 01-31-2005, 07:44 PM

They're cool plants worth trying, Tom. Mine do well. I started with two and split them into four after some growth. You can see pics in my gallery/"homepage" if interested. I've seen otos graze on them for short periods of time. That probably doesn't help with you Pleco question, though

Fluff · 01-31-2005, 08:39 PM

I have moss balls and my plecos don't bother them.

DaPony87 · 01-31-2005, 09:27 PM

I like it says in the article that they require no sunlight or little ligyht but at the bottom the requirement is high lighting

For the people that have them, how many WPG do you guys have?

TomK2 · 01-31-2005, 09:53 PM

This is really tempting. I am the grim reaper of aquatic plants, and I fear that this would just be another futile dead end for me. Rather than use plants for nutrient and nitrogen control, I use frequent water changes (20% two or three times a week, can do more easily). I have pH=7.6 - 7.8, NH3=0, NO2=0, and NO3 5ppm or less, and have only a single tube 40w flourescent light in a 23 inch high tank. Great for fish viewing, death to plants. Is there really a living plant that can be put in a tank like this and live?