Marimo moss balls

[maestromad]

I've purchased some of these after looking online for some snails. They were written up a good for removing the excess nutrients and prevention of cloudy/green water.
I was wondering if anyone on here has owned them or had any experience with them?
I think they'll look pretty cool floating up and down and around the tank - hopefully they will arrive in a day or two

 

[maestromad]

Cheeky bump

 

[Convict2161]

I had them and removed them all. They reeked havoc on my filtration system. They never stayed in one place and all the little pieces got stuck and started to clog the intake. Wasn't worth it for me. Maybe it will work for you. I don't like them but I do know other members that do have them.


On a side note, you should give the members a chance to answer your threads. You've bumped both threads in a matter of hours. No need to do that. Just be patient.

 

[Vircomore]

I also tried Marimo balls in my smaller guppy tank and they failed miserably. They didn't really grow at all, and ended up just collecting a bunch of gunk on them.

Depending on how much surface agitation your tank has, floating plants can be much more effective at absorbing nitrates from the water. Just google "Amazon Frogbit" or "Dwarf Water Lettuce" - both are fairly small floating plants that reproduce easily and create a nice floating element to a tank.

 

[blert]

They didn't really grow at all, and ended up just collecting a bunch of gunk on them.

They grow very slowly, like painfully slow. And the gunk build up... That's their job, they are like magnets.

 

[adadkins1]

I agree, my Marimo pearls all the time in my 26W 10g shrimp tank, but after owning it for a year it has grown minimally. It does collect junk and they need to be turned every now and again to make sure they don't get a flat spot. They are slow growers and thus do not do much along the lines of nitrate removal. That is like counting on Anubias sp. or other slow growers to use tons of nutrients; ain't gonna happen.

I agree with Vircomore: If you don't have tons of surface agitation go for some floaters. There are tons of them out there: Duckweed (love/hate relationship), Hornwort, Dwarf Water Lettuce (very fast grower in my tanks), Amazon Frogbit, Red Root Floater and various others. I have some Duckweed, Hornwort, and Anacharis floating in my fully stocked 55 and my nitrates stay at 10ppm; even after 10+ days without a water change.

 

[rreekers]

I think if you have a lot of water movement in the tank they are good ..

mine have started to loose their round shape since there isn't river type movement in my tank. I put mine in the back of my tank so food doesn't collect on them. mine hasn't grown at all since I got it 4-5 months ago

 

[maestromad]

Thanks guys. What I read they grow 5mm a year need the occaisonal rinse out (like filter media) and need to be rolled into balls like dough!
I have a fair bit if surface agitation so floating things are a no go really.
I can but try, I've got ones coming that are tiny (smaller than a penny) fingers crossed they will help some otherwise it'll be back to the drawing board

 

[Nomadu571]

I have the one Marimo moss ball and I don't love it, but then I don't hate it either. Mine has grown by around 3-4mm overall which you I can notice, it's noticeably larger than when I brought it 4-5 months ago. I give it a knock round the tank occasionally when I'm cleaning the glass or doing a water change, but it moves all the time some how, I don't have lots of flow but I guess it's enough to move it from one end to another in slow movements, which seems to keep its form quite well. I have a bamboo shrimp which grazes it occasionally, but I don't notice a build up of gunk at all, the little fella stays green and fluffy all the time (moss not shrimp ).

I think it's down to taste I liked it more when I had more fake plants etc, but since switching to planted it just gets in the way alot of the time. I would say they are for decoration as any nitrite they do suck up would me minimal in my guess, and the same with nutrients.

 

[rreekers]

mine doesn't float, it lays on the bottom

 

[Alkane]

I've heard that you can cut them up and tie to driftwood/rocks. Has anyone tried this?

I've had one in a Betta tank for over a year it hasn't grown much at all (few cm).

 

[adadkins1]

I think you might can cut them into pieces and attach to hardscape. I'seen it done, but I haven't tried.

 

[revchristinejday]

Dear Maestromad,

I have Marimo balls, or clumps I should say, in my aquarium along with my goldies--which is why they are clumps. Marimo worked much better that java moss balls which did wind up in my filter. However they have survived and when dissected by said Goldies, pieces attached themselves to a rock in the tank which is slowly becoming lovely. Mine do not float...make sure they are heavy with water or they do float. Good luck,
Chris

 

[KaylNeko]

I got mine for the pretty. They don't grow fast enough to help with other algae (they are a species of algae, btw ) and they collect detritus, which the shrimp love picking over. You have to rotate them every so often so they don't flatten out or get brown on the side sitting on the substrate. But it looks cool. Useless, but cool. *lol* I've read they naturally tend to float to get better light/water, which I think is neat. Apparently, mine likes where it is cuz it hasn't moved *lol*

 

[Alyxx]

I have them just because they look cool. I have two in my brackish tank and they seem to love it in there. They really got green. I had one in my 5 gallon freshwater tank, then moved it to a 1.5 gal betta tank. It did ok on there til I forgot to take it out before a water change and it got busted open by hot water. It lived, but wasn't a ball anymore. Then I changed up my water change routine for that tank and put the betta, his filter, and the moss ball in my water change bucket because I broke the cup my betta came in, which I usually stuck him in for water changes. I moved the betta and his filter back but forgot the moss ball, then dumped the old water in the toilet. Didn't even realize what I did when I saw a dark mass rushing down the drain. Thought it was some sand, but no. Poor little moss ball.

 

[Discusapisto]

Gently squeezing them into a bucket during water changes helps keep them detritus free and like mentioned earlier rotating is a must. Quick funny story when I was in hong kong visiting a biologist friend of mine he took me down to the fish market and every shop in that stretch of stores had moss balls in the entrance ways. They kept them in small unheated bowls under a desk lamp and each customer that would leave would turn the ball a quarter of a turn which is customary there. And all I gotta say is those where the biggest marimo(tribbles) I have ever seen. One shop owner said he changed the water every day because of all the human oils in the water from people turning them all the time.

 

[maestromad]

Yeah marimo miss balls are a Japanese treasure from reading online. I hope they bring something to the tank even if it is just a bit of coolness lol !

 

[Discusapisto]

Yeah marimo miss balls are a Japanese treasure from reading online. I hope they bring something to the tank even if it is just a bit of coolness lol !

Or good luck like the shop owners say they do lol!!!

 

[maestromad]

My little tank needs some of that too!