I got a Marimo Moss Ball! - help?

[wystearya]

I went out to get a couple more plants for my new tank, and I couldn't resist grabbing one of the Marimo moss balls. <3 I'd have gotten more, but at $8 each I went with just one for now. ;)

Anyway, I am wondering about quarantining this ball. I definitely want to quarantine it, as they were kept with fish. I am hoping -untreated- tap water will be OK..? I know that the chlorine can help kill any diseases, but I don't want to kill my new plant!

Any tips on care would be great. I know they need turned every once in a while and rinsed out in old tank water too. Low-ish light, right? I'll keep it in the darker parts of the tank.

I look forward to replies! I don't want to do anything until I find out if the -untreated- tap water method for quarantine is safe for the moss balls.

Thanks in advance!!
~Wystearya

PS - I think I will name my little new moss ball 'Pygmy Puff'. <3

[Twilight Storm]

I don't know about quarantine, but when I rinse mine off I run it under tap water and squeeze it out. They are kind of hollow. After you squeeze it and toss it back into water it will float for a while then soak up water and sink again. I know you probably wouldn't, but don't squeeze the dickens out of it, but just like it was a sponge and you were squeezing excess water from it. (My moss is NOT with fish though I don't know if doing this would transfer enough chlorine to be dangerous to a fish tank.)

I have issues with those little planeria? worms in mine. I have had them in a bowl by themselves (and some java moss to help the water quality) for over a year now, and I keep the water dechlorinated. They are in indirect light on the bathroom counter of all places, and they are bright green and beautiful. (except the worms. They are inside my moss balls and I haven't had the heart to rip them apart. No one could really tell me how to get rid of them without destroying the moss balls. :( They won't hurt the fish but they look gross to me.)

I know one is named Satan, the other one I think is Demon lol because they are evil. ;)

[dramaqueen]

Eeww! I don't think I want mossballs if they're going to have worms. Gross!

[gbose]

I've never had worms in mine. Feel free to soak it in tap water for a few days, to quarantine it.. Chlorine doesn't hurt plants and will disinfect it a bit.

Add a few drops of dechlorinator just before taking it out -- that'll neutralize the chlorine, so it doesn't get into your tank.

Good luck!

GBose

[dramaqueen]

Thanks for the info, those. I want to put mine in with one of my fish but I do not want little worms and nasty stuff in my tanks. Lol

[bahamut285]

I QT'd mine for a week near the window in untreated water. I changed the water everyday, squished them a bit, gave them a "shower" and rotated them so they got enough sun :)

[Tamyu]

Originally Posted by bahamut285

I QT'd mine for a week near the window in untreated water. I changed the water everyday, squished them a bit, gave them a "shower" and rotated them so they got enough sun :)

You are actually not supposed to put them in sunlight - they are very weak to it, and will start to die.

That is, assuming it is actually a real marimo. Fake ones that are just a different kind of algae that has been dehydrated, dyed, and then rolled into a ball and secured with thread inside seem to be really common outside Japan. As they get old the thread dissolves and they fall apart.

The real ones need cold water and low light. They can survive for a short time in higher temps, but won't manage for long in the temps for a betta tank. You are supposed to keep them in the refrigerator over the summer (when the water temperature is above 80.)

I have to wonder how many people think they have a live marimo but it is really just a fake one in their betta tank...

[Fin2you]

interesting that they supposidely don't do well in the "heated betta" water. I bought 2 real ones (I knew to look for the "fake") and split them up to divide them between all of my 8 tanks. They are all growing so huge that I can easily share with friends in less than 1 mth!

[Tamyu]

Originally Posted by Fin2you

interesting that they supposidely don't do well in the "heated betta" water. I bought 2 real ones (I knew to look for the "fake") and split them up to divide them between all of my 8 tanks. They are all growing so huge that I can easily share with friends in less than 1 mth!

They are still fake. They are living algae, but they aren't marimo... They fall kind of between fake and real.
There are two kinds of fakes - ones made from the dyed stuff and ones made from a totally different algae that has been rolled into balls. Those kind don't naturally "reproduce" by dividing, nor do they naturally form a ball shape. People roll them into balls and sell them.

But they are more hardy as it is a different algae, so are easier to sell and store. They also grow a LOT faster, but need maintenance to keep them round. Real marimo grow very very slowly even in perfect conditions. That yours grew fast is a huge indicator that it is a different type of algae. Real ones grow less than a cm a year.

Marimo all naturally live in very very cold lakes, and will rot from within if in too warm of water for too long.

In the end though, unless you are a marimo purist (for me it is important - marimo are an important thing in Japan), if you are happy with your algae ball then all is good. It just isn't actually a marimo.

[Fin2you]

oh ok! LOL I guess I have a different kind! 1 b/c every couple wks I rinse them out & re-roll them up. all my betta's love playing with them, & my baby snails hide under the couple in with them.