Is my Marimo ball dead?

TL1000RSquid

TL1000RSquid

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Apr 6, 2011
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One of my marimo balls has started to turn brown, I removed it from my tank squeezed it out and placed it in a jar for now its floating in there. The 3 other smaller ones in the tank are still a nice dark green. This particular one is slightly smaller then a baseball is it dead or might it still come back?

My water parameters are all in check, other marimo's. plants and fish are fine. My Cory's and red cherry shrimp liked to feed on this big one I just assumed they were eating stuff that got stuck to it perhaps they killed it?
 
Any way you could post a picture of it?
 
Ash: Pics on my phone aren't coming out good, I'll get my digital camera back from the girlfriend tomorrow and post pics tomorrow evening.

Mgamer: I'll run it under some water again tomorrow I cleaned it pretty good today, Was going to let it get some natural sunlight(while making sure the water doesnt get to heated) in the container its in now. It had excellent light in my tank I have several plants that require moderate to high light and they're thriving in the tank.
 
In cleaning out my 55 gallon I came across my little Marimo ball that I hadn't seen in months- it had got knocked under a slate cave (that was covered in java moss so in perpetual dark)... somehow it survived for months under there. It never grew... but it is still alive.

I can't imagine how you could kill the little blighters. Truly one tough algae.

That said... brown doesn't sound good.


Where did you get the ball? I think I read on here once that some places wrap java moss around a styrofoam ball and sell it as "marimo".
 
Mgamer20o0 said:
i have never had them die on me. did you use any excel in the tank? i have had them get dirty but after washing them they are green again.
Click to expand...

thats a co2 additive correct? I've used some stuff from API and am in the process of making a DIY bottle setup. I also use liquid plant food from aqueon.
 
Wycco said:
In cleaning out my 55 gallon I came across my little Marimo ball that I hadn't seen in months- it had got knocked under a slate cave (that was covered in java moss so in perpetual dark)... somehow it survived for months under there. It never grew... but it is still alive.

I can't imagine how you could kill the little blighters. Truly one tough algae.

That said... brown doesn't sound good.


Where did you get the ball? I think I read on here once that some places wrap java moss around a styrofoam ball and sell it as "marimo".
Click to expand...

This particular one I purchased a few months ago from Petsmart. My 5 healthy ones I purchased on ebay from a vendor overseas, they were in transit for 2 weeks and were flatend when they arrived but still green and I was able to reform them.
 
did some reading around and it seems that marimo balls can live to be 100 yrs old. So unless your was very old when you got it.... :)
 
FYI- found this online whilst trying to source the rumour of whether petsmart/petco moss balls are really java moss not marimo...

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100706085746AAy4gYN
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/*************/archive/index.php/t-61777.html

Can't validate the legitimacy of the answers... but... it seems a common rumour.




As to an Excel- it's sold as a liquid source of CO2- however many people use it to kill off algae (the active ingredient is actually a particular cleaning/disinfecting agent sold at much higher prices I believe). They're not legally allowed to market it as an algaecide though. Some plants such as vals and anacharis reportedly don't like excel when used in doses high enough to kill algae.

I use a different brand that doesn't kill algae- but is safe for all plants.
 
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