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Marimo moss ball life span?

37K views 34 replies 11 participants last post by  holly12  
#1 ·
Whats the longest your moss balls have lived? I just bought 2
 
#4 ·
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.
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
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.
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#14 ·
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
 
#15 ·
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!)