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What exactly are Marmio Moss Balls?

11K views 49 replies 12 participants last post by  sandybottom 
#1 ·
I always see the Marmio Balls in Petsmart, and I just think they look really cool. But what do they do, and what do you have to do to care for them? And most importantly, should I get one?
 
#2 ·
I have one, its a live plant. Its really easy to take care of. You just squeeze the ball to get rid of the stuff that it absorb when it was in there. and you should be good. But I might be wrong lol.
 
#4 ·
Okay, do they have any benefits for the tank? Also, how do I care for it if I get one?
 
#5 ·
Since it's a living plant, it sucks up ammonia and nitrate. You don't really do anything to care for it. It's a low-high light plant, and that's about it. :) I have 2, their names are Ben & Jerry. :lol:
 
#8 ·
That's so cool, I'm going to get one!

marimo needs little to no care, you need to roll it a few times a week to keep it green. otherwise the part that doesnt see light wil turn brown.

once in a while take it out and give it a firm squeeze roll it in your palms and put it back in. marimo isnt really a high light warm temp plant, so keeping it in lower light is optimum.
Sounds good! Since your the plant master, is it safe to buy the cheap ones online like on eBay or something? Or is it better to buy in stores?
 
#6 ·
marimo needs little to no care, you need to roll it a few times a week to keep it green. otherwise the part that doesnt see light wil turn brown.

once in a while take it out and give it a firm squeeze roll it in your palms and put it back in. marimo isnt really a high light warm temp plant, so keeping it in lower light is optimum.
 
#9 ·
I actually have no idea XD not a fan of the balls :p
I got mine fore free, flattened it out to let my scuds graze on it ;)

but Ive heard mix reviews about getting it online.... a localguy sells them for $3.50 ea... hes a well trusted source for plants. unfortunately you will have to create a login before you can see his goods

link here

PS i have a long way to go in terms of plant knowledge XD
 
#10 ·
Since they are slow growing, they don't have a huge effect in terms of ammonia and nitrate. The good thing however, is since it is actually an algae, some people believe that it will keep algae at bay since it will take up the nutrients other algae would need to grow. However, I have no scientific evidence to back it up. I would think it would uptake nutrients, but how much I don't know depends on conditions of the tank as well.
 
#15 ·
Do it, they are so cool :p they are $8.99 at petsmart, not sure where else to get them.

I guess it does help a little bit and makes a nice soft bed for the betta :D
Haha, sure! Mine have leaf hammocks though.
 
#16 ·
Moss balls are cladophora sp. They are useful because of their colonial nature.

Be careful buying 'cheap' moss balls- there is another type of cladophora that will attach todriftwoods and substrate, and looks identical. Some unscrupulous dealers will get non-colonial cladophora, press it into a ball and sell it, but these will eventually unravel and anchor to the substrate.
 
#17 ·
Thanks Jman I will try it. Been looking around trying to find the right plants for a 3g low light tank.

We also have a leaf hammock but he doesnt touch it. He likes to curl up around his heater or sleep in his cave.

Thanks Red I will be cautious when I buy one. How can you tell the difference when you look at them.
 
#19 ·
Yipes ok well I dont really have a good dealer around here just seen a few at PetSmart and thought they maybe better in the tank then silk ones. That and they look so much better. I guess I will just have to keep a good eye on it and pull it if it starts to fall apart. How long before it shows signs of being bad? Maybe I can put it in another tank for awhile.
 
#20 ·
If you but it at Petsmart, it'll be fine.
 
#23 ·
Isnt there some belief that they bring good luck to whoever owns it or some other kind of meaning/superstition about them??
Can someone tell me what it is? I'm thinking about handing them out at my wedding
 
#24 ·
they are considered a symbol of luck and love. are often kept near cash registers in japan. also kept as a pet. they like cool water and low lighting. they can be kept in the fridge over hot months to keep them from rotting. use non chlorinated water to clean marimo. gently squeezing then turning and squeezing gently again.repeat this until there is uniformity and appears a smaller rounder form of itself. don,t squeeze too hard or it can fall apart.they can also give off little babies.happy marimo keeping!
 
#27 ·
+1 on clean water. if you keep them as ornaments you can use spring or filtered water. with municipal water supply always use dechlorinator.also make sure they are moved once a week to avoid brown spots or flat sides. i saw a guy on youtube that had a few in a plastic hamster ball. he used it as a tumbler to make them uniformly round, trying to simulate a rolling tide.
 
#35 · (Edited)
make substrate higher in the back,the detritus will end up settling in the front where you can see it. the plants should break down the small amount that is stuck in them. i sometimes use a chopstick and swirl it around carefully to dislodge some of the detritus then vac it up in the front. i use sand, this makes it much easier than trying to vac gravel in a planted tank. anubias likes to grow in the shade of other plants as it is vulnerable to algae outbreaks if it receives too much light.if you are using for a low light set up they can be placed more out in the open. so the more light the more shade in your aquarium they need. they don't really need to be fertilized or need co2. but will still benefit from it, but don't expect explosive growth, as they will still grow very slowly. be careful using bubblers in planted tanks as it may gas off any co2 in the tank. if you must have one get a control valve for it and set it lower. many planted tank cleaning vids on you tube. or you could anchor your plants to rocks or get some aqua plant pots, that way most of your plants can be moveable.
 
#37 ·
I tie all my non-floating Anubias to rocks or beads so I can move them around when I'm vacuuming my bare-bottom tank. When planting Anubias in the substrate, don't cover the rhizome, just the roots. That's why I don't bother planting it at all.

Thanks for the lighting tip, Sandy. Even thought the algae is easy enough to clean off, it's still a nuisance. I'm going to cut back more on my lights.
 
#38 ·
the anubias i have always got algae until i moved it into the shade of my mopani wood.then it was fine.tough plant, works with goldfish and even cichlids. had an idea for potting my baby tears ... glass pot with layers of colored sand with some sort of heavier gravel cap for my kids tank. something colorful and hopefully not too tacky. depending on colors. it would probably look cool until the roots grow in. maybe a pot inside a larger pot with sand in between to keep it cleaner looking? or too cheesy?
 
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