# Marimo moss ball life span?



## Ruslan

Whats the longest your moss balls have lived? I just bought 2


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## James0816

The longest I have had them is four weeks. But then again...I just got them four weeks ago. ;o)

It's my understanding that they can last good long time and grow fairly large. That is of course in the wild.


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## A.J.

I've had two for nearly a year now, they both look alive still though one is a little odd shapped, though that is really my fault. I'd like to get a few more for the tank, I think they are great additions.


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## holly12

I've heard they can live for years.... I've only had my 2 for a few months. One started to turn brown on one side so I moved it where it got more light and it seems to be ok.

You have to turn them over every once in a while or they start to grow funny. (It just helps them keep the rounded shape). They are pretty cool! My shrimp have a blast hanging out on them, eating little organisms off of them.


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## James0816

Definately keep them rotated. I'm constantly moving them around with my handy-dandy bamboo skewers.

It is definately fun to watch the shrimp work them over. Especially at feeding time when the flakes land on them.


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## Ruslan

Ok thanks, Its just I was worried coz i saw on some website that they only last 2 months, I was like 'whaaat??'. And yeah they are very cool, I also heard they work as little filters too.


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## nasomi

They can live forever, they're a free floating moss, so not necessarily a single organism. They don't work as filters any more than plants do. They consume co2 and create o2. They don't have roots so they don't consume the waste material that drops to the floor.


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## ReStart

I just bought some type of moss ball thing but am not sure which one. It's about the size of a large apple and sits on the bottom. LFS lady told me it does not need or like too much light or maintenance. I got it for my Molly fry to pick at when I move half of them out of the 10g algae fry tank into the 14g plastic container in a week or two. I hope they like it. I'm not impressed with a wad of moss sitting on the bottom of my tank. Like the rest of you, I hope it lasts awhile.


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## snail

Marimo balls are a type of algae and often sold as 'moss balls'. The problem is there are other 'fake' moss balls that are just a ball of moss rolled up or even wrapped around a styrofoam ball so it tends to lead to some confusion about there care and growing habits. The 'real' moss balls are very tough and long lasting.


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## bolram

I've had my marimo ball for about 3months now, they are just an extremely slow grower lol. Mine is still healthy if not looking better than when i got it.


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## James0816

snail said:


> The problem is there are other 'fake' moss balls that are just a ball of moss rolled up or even wrapped around a styrofoam ball


Petsmart had these for awhile. It's just Java Moss covering a pith ball which is anchored down with fishing line and a weight.


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## jrman83

Would much rather have java than marimo. You'd never have to worry about how long it would last.


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## majerah1

Ive heard they will last forever,and the very large ones are usually over ten years old as they are super slow growers.they have to be moved alot,and where they originate,the water has them constantly rolling about,so they stay rounded.

Again,what Ive heard,but Ive never had them.I want a few,think they would look nice in my albi tank.


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## bolram

cos they dont latch on and root to anything they tend to be rolling around even if only a little bit some of my fish headbutt it around sometimes as they seem to be fascinated of it moving yet scared at the same time lol. Plus i move it a bit when i do a clean of the tank its kept its rounded shape even with just small movements every now and then. The intensity of the deep rich green is such a nice contrast though and it seems to improve every week


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## holly12

I've got 2 and one is a deep, rich green colour, while the other is a lighter more forest coloured green. Both from Petsmart (but each from a different location.) They are real moss balls, lol, no moss anchored to a ball here. (They are like a sponge when you squeeze them!)


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## bolram

Yeah thats the good thing how they seem to filtrate alot of the dirt i squeeze mine out every week or two and always get some sort of dirt of them its quite intriguing how spongy feel they are lol


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## James0816

I'm curious about the squeezing out part. I'm sure there may be goodies in there that the shrimp have missed....maybe. ;oP

But if you squeeze them like a sponge...do they retain their shape after said squeezing? I just roll them around from time to time to keep them rotated.


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## bolram

Yeah they go back to normal after back in the water, a few sources recommend squeezing them every now and then to stop and harmful build ups occurring in the ball


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## majerah1

Yeah you are supposed to squeeze them out every now and again.i wonder if they are like a sponge filter?


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## bolram

I wondered that, alot of sellers claim they act as an extra filter to your tank in the same way sponge filters do


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## holly12

Just don't squeeze as hard as you can, lol a gentle/firm squeeze is all they need.


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## sondre

I got 5 of these yesterday,waiting for delivery next week


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## holly12

I keep getting brown patches on one of them, but the other is doing great. I turn them both, so I wonder if one is just less healthy.... oh well, I'll keep dosing the ferts and turning them and see what happens....


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## bolram

ive never given mine ferts and its stayed as healthy as ever


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## snail

bolram said:


> ive never given mine ferts and its stayed as healthy as ever


Same here, some of mine came with patches which I thought might have been caused by burning by ferts.


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## holly12

I hope that's not what it is! (I have to use ferts' for my other plants, so they get dosed by default.)


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## snail

Some ferts should be fine. You could try cutting back just a little. If It still doesnt do well for you you could keep it in a jar on the windowsill. I have one in a jar and it is really happy.


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## holly12

Hmm... that could work! I'll give it another week and see how it's doing. It looks ok for now....


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## majerah1

snail said:


> I have one in a jar and it is really happy.


How can you tell if a marimo ball is happy?Does it smile?

lol sorry just had to ask.

< Should be green,huh!


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## snail

majerah1 said:


> How can you tell if a marimo ball is happy?Does it smile?
> 
> lol sorry just had to ask.
> 
> < Should be green,huh!


lol, kind of like this but green: :fish-in-a-bag:


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## holly12

My moss balls tell me their happy all the time! Don't yours?


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## majerah1

Holly,you sure its sleep apnea?

LOL.


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## holly12

^ hahahahahaha! 

Sleep apnea sure, but I'm also weird! (I can get the hubby - and sometimes random strangers - laughing pretty hard sometimes!) 

For instance: At our town's yearly fall fair, there was a really docile dopey mini donkey, and he was just standing there..... so I reached over and started "wibbling" his bottom lip. The lady standing next to me almost died laughing and I thought my husband was going to pee his pants. I dunno.... seemed like the thing to do at the time. (You never know what's going to happen - or be said - when I'm around!!)


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## majerah1

Hah,I so would have done the same!

I have a pic of my cat wearing a dress,and one of her with a cowboy hat on,that came with some BBQ sauce awhile back.
In my defense,the cowboy hats were the perfect size,so i didnt have a choice.I had to do it.


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## holly12

I've dressed my female cat up before.... she had a whole wardrobe when she was a kitten..... she doesn't like it anymore though, lol!

I have a video of the donkey lip wibbling...... I just haven't uploaded it to youtube.


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