# Marimo Moss balls?



## Laurencia7

I saw the moss balls being sold in PetSmart the other day and had read about them before, but was wondering if they really had any benefits for fish tanks? What is needed to care for them (type of water quality) special light? (I have natural light from door)

If they die easy or become a pest and procreate too much and over take the tank? Or if goldfish don't eat them to nothingness... just whether or not they would even be worth looking into for my goldfish tank. Or if they are more trouble than they are worth. Or if they are mostly just decorative. 

Any info would help.

Moss Balls


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## mestar

Laurencia7 said:


> I saw the moss balls being sold in PetSmart the other day and had read about them before, but was wondering if they really had any benefits for fish tanks? What is needed to care for them (type of water quality) special light? (I have natural light from door)
> 
> If they die easy or become a pest and procreate too much and over take the tank? Or if goldfish don't eat them to nothingness... just whether or not they would even be worth looking into for my goldfish tank. Or if they are more trouble than they are worth. Or if they are mostly just decorative.
> 
> Any info would help.
> 
> Moss Balls


I love my Marimo Moss Balls. Little to no care, just turn them once in while to avoid brown patchs. If they do get a brown patch just turn the patch up and it will green up. They help to keep the water clean like all plants. They do not procreate. You can make more by cutting them into smaller pieces. They grow very slowly. None of my fish bother them. Mine are in cooler water as I do not have heaters, some low light, some med light. They do well with pretty much any situation.


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## lkfishy

I got one 5 or so months ago because I thought they were really cool looking. I plopped it into my tank and it sank to the bottom (I expected it to float, but oh well) It looks nice sitting on the gravel at the front of my tank. It hasn't grown, it hasn't died,but its still nice and green and fluffy. My fish ignore it other than my pleco who will suck onto it and rest. I like it, I get a lot of questions about it when people look at my tank because its unusual, people want to reach in and squish it, haha.I have a t8 bulb and I dose my tank with flourish excel for co2 because its planted, but i'm not sure exactly what the moss ball needs or doesn't need. Long story short, I would recommend one or even a few


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## Laurencia7

Thanks guys, I hope my goldfish ignore it. They are ignoring the fake one so far. 
I found ones sold on ebay, does anyone know if they are reliable? Or very small?
Sounds like a cool starter plant. My dream tank would be a planted one, but I am afraid my goldfish would destroy it, or I would not be able to keep up with the care.

Do the moss balls need to be quarantined before putting them in the tank? If I put one in with my Algae Eaters, would they eat it?


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## lkfishy

My Pleco doesn't eat mine but he does enjoy sticking to it occasionally. I don't have experience with goldfish but I have never heard of a fish that doesn't enjoy real plants.They aren't hard to care for if you just go with low maintenance plants. I have java fern, java moss, amazon sword, a moss ball, and a mystery plant and they do fine with a t8 bulb and every other day doses of flourish excel. I don't use a fertilizer because my fish do that for me, plus I don't want the plants growing too fast, it makes for less pruning and maintenance.


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## rubnu67

goldfish will destroy a heavily planted tank, that was my first mistake! i had 3 goldfish and in the space of a week they had uprooted every single plant. i wouldnt recommend goldfish in a planted aquarium


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## Laurencia7

rubnu67 said:


> goldfish will destroy a heavily planted tank, that was my first mistake! i had 3 goldfish and in the space of a week they had uprooted every single plant. i wouldnt recommend goldfish in a planted aquarium


I figured as much, darn. I will try the ball and see if they eat it. If so I will take it out and get a jar.


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## seaecho

Marimo balls are charmers! I love mine. I think everyone should have one. They do look exotic in the aquarium, and I wouldn't be without one. As stated, they are really no-maintenance except to turn once in a while, and squeeze it out in used tank water when you do water changes to keep it from getting stuff all over it. But I also wouldn't recommend a planted tank for goldfish. They tend to be destructive, and I, for one, would be very frustrated very quickly when they kept unrooting my plants!


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## Lynda

Sorry I'm really late in this conversation but I was looking at info about the moss balls. Curious to try them now too.
Noticed everyone saying you can't have a planted tank with goldfish, while I sit here watching my 3 three year old fantail goldfish in my 55g, planted with anubias nana and some valisneria grass. The anubias (slow grower) is tied down to a rock structure using some fishing line until the roots take hold. The fish don't eat it or try to move it. The val grows quickly and sends out shoots under the gravel, needing trimming occasionally. Granted these do get uprooted occasionally as the goldfish play around but they don't eat these either. Likely if I had deeper gravel, would be less problematic. I also put in fresh greens when I buy romaine or spinach, which the goldfish love to eat. Site to check for other goldfish friendly plants is at about-goldfish dot com under the Aquarium Plants tab.


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## insight2663

i have an overstocked 90 gal tank. Huge nitrate problem. added an drop algae scrubber from Santa Monica filtration. big improvement, but not as much as I was hoping for. Added a buch of moss balls. problem solved. My ciclids have a great time chasing them around. Have to add more preiodically, but, well worth it


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