# Marimo and Other Plants



## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

oh! How do you know if a moss ball is dying? Luckily I just ordered a few more, so I'll have new ones today. Are moss balls enough plant wise, for betta tanks?


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

A healthy moss ball look green. Yours (in your other thread) looks brownish. Maybe it's just my monitor.


I don't like marimos in my tank. They look boring to me. I like plants with roots because I can see them grow. It's just personal preference. If you don't do water change often, it's better to get fast grown plants. They consume more ammonia and nitrate. There are some fast growing plants you can just float in the tank; such as Anacharis, Hornwart, Brazilian Pennywort and such. I recommend weekly water change though. Water change is not a pain once you get to used to it.


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

I've been looking for easy floatable plants, thanks for some plant ideas. I don't have any gravel/sand at the bottom of my tanks, and have been looking for plants that I can just drop in


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

do I have to feed the plants or have a certain light for them?


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

You have very high Nitrate that can feed plants more than enough...honestly too much Nitrate. Those plants I mentioned above are not picky, so they can do well without additional ferts. 


Ideal water parameters in freshwater aquariums are;
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 20 ppm or under


What kind of light do you have in the tank? If you are going to get a pretty good one, Finnex StingRAY LED Clip Light is good to grow low- medium light plants. Tell you the truth, I don't know well about aquarium lights, hopefully other members can suggest you better/cheaper options.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Marimo is not a plant. It is a specialized form of algae so does nothing to help water quality. Its possible benefit is out-competing other algae for nutrients.


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

they don't do anything!? Ugh! Not what I wanted to hear


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## ThatFishThough (Jan 15, 2016)

It's not that they don't do anything... They outcompete algae & look cool.


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

they seem like the easiest "plant" I can own! Just throw them in, and they're cheap!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Hello24 said:


> they don't do anything!? Ugh! Not what I wanted to hear


Not what I said at all. As TFT also noted, they can out-compete certain algae for nutrients.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Unless those Marimo are bright green like the one below they need to come out. You need to roll them every now and then to keep the same part from always being on the substrate/tank bottom.









Can't tell you about your boy. For some that's normal behavior; for some it's not.


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## NeroBubbles (Jan 17, 2017)

This is cute sorry the marimo ball didn't work they really like light.


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

luckily they're cheap, just ordered four more! (I have many betta's)


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

I recommend you to take out Marimo's from the tanks sometimes, put them in a container with dechlorinated water and leave in the sunlight. It will help to keep them healthy.


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

ok thanks!


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## NeroBubbles (Jan 17, 2017)

Check the Marimo for snails and EGGS! Also give them a good rinse and soft soft squeezes while rotating it in your palm before you put it in your tank.


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## Hello24 (Mar 10, 2016)

I rinsed and squeezed but... eggs!?


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