# Petco Moss Balls?



## SunnySideIvy

My local Petco has started to sell moss balls and I was wondering if anybody else has seen this and tried them. They come in the betta cups, one moss ball, for I believe about $6-8. I was interested in getting one but I was nervous because..you know..petco. :lol:


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## lilnaugrim

Absolutely. They're Marimo balls, specialized algae that rolls into a ball. Very easy plant to take care of, it will appreciate light and water flow but if you don't have water flow then just push it around every now and then to keep it's round shape. They come from Japan rivers where they're pushed around all day long and hence the round shape, but we can mimic that.

Every now and then, like every other week or so, you can take the marimo out and swish it in old tank water (generally easiest to do after a water change) and give it a gentle squeeze to get the caught debris out of it. Swish again and roll back to ball shape and plop back into the tank. It may float a bit after that until it becomes totally waterlogged once more. That's really all there is to it


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## SunnySideIvy

Sweet! I was worried it was those java moss strange balls. I've always wanted a moss ball too!


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## lilnaugrim

Yeah, some still have the Java Moss balls but you can clearly tell the difference between them; marimo looks like hairs all bunched together, nice and soft like a rug. Java Moss looks much stringier and generally they keep them in the normal tanks. The ones in the cups are always Marimos


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## Aqua Aurora

The balls sold in betta cups are real marimo, the ones sold as "moss balls" by fluval in a clear plastic and cardboard packaging are not true marimo.


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## cynsnn

This is good to know about the moss balls I've wanted to get a couple for awhile now, but didn't no how to take care of them! And after the 1st time of trying to grow java moss and ferns, I'm scared to try growing any more unless I have help! Which I have now thanks to you friendly folks here! :lol: I have tried the java moss again, and its doing ok, but could do better. The fern is staying the same as it has been for 5 months now! At least it's not dead! :roll: Cindy


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## Tree

petco now is having "A Betta friend" and they are Anubias plants. LOL but man they are spendy... $9 for one plant in a cup? x_x I could get four of them at petsmart for that much.


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## DangerousAngel

^Exactly!!
I have one in Dangerous' tank, it adds a nice natural look to his already natural-looking tank! I'd totally recommend one! They're very easy to care for too!


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## SunnySideIvy

Okay, great! I had a short broadleaf in Drax's tank but it browned over :-(
So I've been reluctant to try live plants again.


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## Aqua Aurora

Tree said:


> petco now is having "A Betta friend" and they are Anubias plants. LOL but man they are spendy... $9 for one plant in a cup? x_x I could get four of them at petsmart for that much.


All the anubias-a-la-cup at my petco are dead mush (complete lack of lighting) I've put them by the utility sink to be dumped before but they just get put back on the shelf.. not even the stupidest aquarist would buy them there's no green .. nothing even resembling a plant left its just fibrous shreds...


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## DangerousAngel

I've seen those too. They don't look appealing at all. The moss ball cups at PetCo don't even get cleaned here. Looks like something died and rotted in it. :-? Pet Smart takes better care of them. Which is sort of shocking to say the least.


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## lilnaugrim

Oh really? My stores are absolutely fantastic. I'll have to get a picture next time I go in, our Anubias actually look like they're worth the 9 dollars, but I still wouldn't pay that much for them haha, I'm cheap. Our Marimos get a water change as well since our store is just that good. I know it's almost a needle in the haystack, but I love my PetCo. It's a shame not all are like mine.


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## Tree

I guess it depends on the store. my petco takes care of their bettas but not the plants there and for Petsmart, they take care of the plants better than the bettas. =/ loose loose situation really. =I


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## Aqua Aurora

My petco has as many terrestrial plants as they do aquatic stuffed underwater in their "plant section" =.=
Sadly betta care has slipped over half a dozen cups had sbd or near dead fish on their sides last visit :c


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## Sadist

I didn't have much luck with my Petsmart marimo moss ball. No matter how often I turned it, the bottom would brown. I finally tore off the outer green shell. The whole middle was brown. The outer green part is still alive, but it's in three different tiny pieces.


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