# Marimo Moss Ball?



## Bettaloveee (Jan 30, 2017)

Hello all! I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this thread, I honestly didn't know where to put it other than "Other Fish" even though it's not a fish... so if I'm in the wrong place, I deeply apologize.

So, I've been thinking about getting a few Marimo Moss Balls for my girls Sushi to put with her in her 10 gallon. I have heard they have amazing benefits! While I have been researching all about them, I thought I was ask for some facts/advice from members who have owned them and kept the with their bettas! I've heard that you can also be sold "fake" marimo moss balls? How do I avoid that? I really want the best for my sweet Sushi, so any advice or facts on the moss balls would be gladly appreciated, thank you!


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## AmazingBettas (Feb 28, 2017)

My friend has 3 bettas and they all have Marimo Moss Balls! She got them at PetSmart for about $10 each. Her bettas LOVE them! They shove them around, lay on them, bite them, etc...
It's pretty cute 
I was thinking of getting one for my betta so I'm curious to see what other people say about them!


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## Bettaloveee (Jan 30, 2017)

AmazingBettas said:


> My friend has 3 bettas and they all have Marimo Moss Balls! She got them at PetSmart for about $10 each. Her bettas LOVE them! They shove them around, lay on them, bite them, etc...
> It's pretty cute
> I was thinking of getting one for my betta so I'm curious to see what other people say about them!


How awesome! It seems like it would definitely keep a betta company and keep them from getting bored! I'm actually looking to get some from petsmart!


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

Real moss balls are generally sold in cups of water and they're squishy when you squeeze them. Fake moss balls can't be squeezed because the middle is generally styrofoam. They really have very minimal care requirements. Just squeeze them out when you do a water change , roll them around in your hands, and you're good to go.


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## Bettaloveee (Jan 30, 2017)

sabrinah said:


> Real moss balls are generally sold in cups of water and they're squishy when you squeeze them. Fake moss balls can't be squeezed because the middle is generally styrofoam. They really have very minimal care requirements. Just squeeze them out when you do a water change , roll them around in your hands, and you're good to go.


Thank you! I'm going to get one from Petsmart, since they carry the ones in water. I've seen they have one's in packages? Which I'm guessing is the fake ones. Thank you again!


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## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Bettaloveee said:


> Thank you! I'm going to get one from Petsmart, since they carry the ones in water. I've seen they have one's in packages? Which I'm guessing is the fake ones. Thank you again!



PetSmart sells them in cups of water, at my PetSmart they are right by the Betta cups. 

They have minimum effect on the quality of your tank water since they are not true plants but specialized algae. They are incredibly slow growing and just do not have the same benefit of true plants. If you get one, get one because you like the looks of them and would like one for your tank. 

I have two in my tank, one is the usual one that's normally sold in PetSmart. The other is around the size of a dime, the first one had that one kind of attached to it and I pulled it off LOL. I take care of them like Sabrinah said, squeezing them in the old tank water when I do a water change to clean them, then squeezing out the old water and plopping them back in the tank. I do make sure to move them around now and then so that all sides get light, that's to avoid brown spots on them.


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## Bettaloveee (Jan 30, 2017)

Rainbo said:


> PetSmart sells them in cups of water, at my PetSmart they are right by the Betta cups.
> 
> They have minimum effect on the quality of your tank water since they are not true plants but specialized algae. They are incredibly slow growing and just do not have the same benefit of true plants. If you get one, get one because you like the looks of them and would like one for your tank.
> 
> I have two in my tank, one is the usual one that's normally sold in PetSmart. The other is around the size of a dime, the first one had that one kind of attached to it and I pulled it off LOL. I take care of them like Sabrinah said, squeezing them in the old tank water when I do a water change to clean them, then squeezing out the old water and plopping them back in the tank. I do make sure to move them around now and then so that all sides get light, that's to avoid brown spots on them.


Thank you! Yeah, my Petsmart has them right above the bettas, they usually have some pretty large ones. I have heard they can get brown spots, so it's good advice to know I should move them around. Also, are they supposed to float?


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## ryry2012 (Mar 31, 2015)

They sink, although they might float after squeezed and haven't absorbed enough water.


The best way to keep marimo balls healthy and green is; remove them once in a while, take them out from tank, put them in a glass bottle or vase with tank water, and leave under sunlight. When they get a lot of sunlight, they pearl and float.


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## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

I was beginning to wonder about them myself. 


I have a ghost shrimp that has been carrying eggs for the past couple of days now.


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## Fishingforcats (Mar 1, 2017)

My Petsmart sells them in cups but my Petco has them in cups and the tanks. If I remember correctly the ones in the tanks look a little bigger. I'm not sure if those ones would be at risk for carrying any unwanted critters though. I haven't had the best luck with them.


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## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

I wouldn't bother with the pet smart in my area. They've been having issues with Ich in the last three weeks. The other two stores I go to regularly use sponge pumps instead, so if one tank is infected with something, the rest aren't.


I never had any issues from buying from those two stores, they have strict quarantine policy's in place.


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## Bettaloveee (Jan 30, 2017)

Thank you all for your responses! My local petsmart is a bit questionable, so I'll be heading to the one about 40 minutes away, because that one is so amazing and the girls that work in the aquatics are sweethearts and know their stuff! Hopefully I'll be able to get some very soon!


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