Marimo Balls

rich_one · Post by **rich_one** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:08 pm

what do you guys think of marimo balls? I had an interesting idea in mind for a different kind of look, using some of these, but thought to check here for thoughts from the experts first, about this plant.

jcali10 · Post by **jcali10** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:20 pm

I'm no expert, but I've seen them suspended mid-water at different heights, and it was kinda surreal looking. Might look even more interesting under moonlights. A more conventional use would be to have them laying on the bottom like tumble weeds.

rich_one · Post by **rich_one** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:48 pm

yeah... I was thinking along both of those lines. I am thinking they would be very cool looking as a feature in a shrimp tank.

hmm...

magsdez · Post by **magsdez** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:53 am

True marimo balls do not 'hang' in midair. Those are acutally moss balls whereas marimo balls are a collection of algae. I have 3 in my 75 gal and 1 in a 5 gal. I think they are kinda cool. They are actually a symbol of Love in Japan and are picked out of streams at such a rate that in some areas, you can't collect them in the wild. They get their shape from being tossed around like a tumbleweed in the flow from the streams, so if you get any, you have to move them around often to keep their shape. As they get bigger, the inside becomes hollow and once they reach a point, will actually float!

They are pretty cool looking IMO.

rich_one · Post by **rich_one** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:38 am

okay then... it's settled. I am going to try this very cool looking plant...

Judi · Post by **Judi** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:23 am

I'm no expert, but I think they're icky. (How's that for being of no help whatsoever?

)

rich_one · Post by **rich_one** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:25 am

LOL...

jcali10 · Post by **jcali10** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:38 pm

The trick to having them suspend in mid water is to use a floating object such a cork, inserted in the middle of the marimo ball, teathered by some really fine filament nylon fishing thread, and anchored to a rock or some other weight under the substrate.

kerokero · Post by **kerokero** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:18 am

I'd second the bit about the moss ball vs. true marimo balls, I've seen stuff listed as such that are clearly the moss ball rip offs. The moss will just do what moss does, and grow straight out, not keeping shape at all unless you want to keep trimming it like a garden bush. The true marimo ball looks like the nice soft algae it is.

As for shrimp tank... marimos are balls of algae, wouldn't that be a bad idea? And they need good water flow, which I also don't imagine in my shrimp tanks... my RCS are working their way through my hair algae in one of my temp plant tanks (why oh why did I put in water lettuce in a pefectly fine tank?!) and I think if the marimo ball sat still (which it shouldn't) then it would be dinner for the shrimps.

RTRJR · Post by **RTRJR** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:34 am

I haven't kept Marimo balls with RCS, but they are fine with Amanos. The Amanos groom the Marimos more than anything else in the tank, and have done no damage to them over years.

Marimo Balls

Marimo Balls

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