# Marimo Moss Ball Disaster



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

I ordered some marimo balls online and they arrived a little squished and super lumpy. It's been about a month now and I squeeze and rinse them every so often. I am not sure if I have been squeezing them too hard or if they were poorly made, but they just fall apart. Not in little pieces, but they break apart into a mat almost. Should I leave them be and try shaping them gently or should I secure them with string until they form a more stable ball? 

Also, I have some tiny pieces of Marimo algae I would like to start shaping into a ball. How often should I roll/squeeze it?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Are they true Marimo's or Java Moss balls? Marimo's aren't technically "made".

What kind of tank setup are they in? What lighting and all that jazz?

And you just roll them between your fingers to get to a ball shape and let it do it's thing. It's going to be years before they even reach dime-sized, but that's Marimo's for you


----------



## Aqua Aurora (Oct 4, 2013)

Sounds like you bought fake/man made 'marimo'. How were they shipped? padded envelope? You should ONLY buy plants online that ship via a box, preferably a Styrofoam lined box as that gives extra structural support to prevent crushing but at least via box not envelope.

fake marimo:

























true marimo:



















Btw marimo grow *painfully *slow at a mere 5 mileometers per a year.

I've seen marimo used in a 'carpet' flattened state before and am thinking of doing this with my 2.5


----------



## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

They're definetly real, just don't look right.


----------



## allied123 (Dec 11, 2014)

I've noticed mine do that sometimes, one had like split in half and I did end up throwing that one away I think....does anyone know how you'd go about making a marimo carpet?? that sounds amazing but I have sand substrate and wouldn't that make it get more anearobic gasses?


----------



## Strawberry12 (Mar 6, 2015)

Off topic, but AA, every time you share that picture of the shrimp on the moss carpet, I feel like they're playing golf


----------

