HOW TO TAKE CARE OF MARIMO MOSS BALLS

MARIMO MOSS BALL

Marimo moss ball is a species of filamentous green algae, found mostly in a number of lakes in the northern hemisphere. A marimo is a rare growth form of the species where the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance. Colonies of such balls are only known to form in Iceland, Scotland, Japan, Estonia and Australia.

How To Grow Marimo Balls

Your marimo friends will grow in tap water at room temperature as long as the water is changed every one or two weeks.

The growth rate of marimo is about 5mm per year. They grow particularly large, up to 20 - 30 cm ( 8-12 inches).

All they need is normal household lighting for them to make food, otherwise, indirect sunlight is fine.

You should turn them over once in a while for them to keep their round shape.

Marimo' s are actually very easy to take care of, probably one of the easiest plants that live in water.

CLEANING

A clean marimo is a healthy marimo. It's a good idea to pick up your marimo once in a while (especially when dirt particles have accumulate on it or when it has turned a bit brown or greyish) and gently wash it by squishing it a few times in a container with some clean water. You can roll it around your hands a bit to prevent it from falling apart from the squishing. This helps the marimo maintain its round shape. In the wild, it gets this from rolling across the lake floor, which it unfortunately can't really do in bowl, vase or aquarium. 

COOL WATER 

In the wild, Marimo only appears in cooler areas like iceland and northern japan. It therefore prefers cool water. If the container/aquarium it's in gets a bit hot (25+ degrees  c/77 ) during summer, consider moving the marimo to a slightly cooler place for a few months. It can actually be placed in the refrigerator during the hotter month, but a spot near an air conditioner is fine. 

SICK MARIMO

Although marimo balls can withstand a range of temperatures and water condition, they may turn a strange color. This is an indication that something is wrong.

Marimo turning white or lighter means that it is probably receiving too much light. If the marimo also seems a bit slimy or if its texture seems otherwise than usual, you may be dealing with a hostile type of algae growing around it. These algae choke the slow-growing marimo, so its best to carefully wash them of or remove them with tweezers. 

Marimo turning brown may be a sign that it's time to clean it. If it doesn't fix it, try carefully picking off the brown (dead) parts and adding a bit of salt to stimulate the marimo's growth. If the bottom of the marimo has been turned brown because it didn't receive light for longer periods of time. Be sure to start rolling the marimo around a bit more often to prevent parts of it from dying off again.

Marimo turning black and/or falling apart are unfortunately known to start decaying from the inside out sometimes, especially when it has been covered by hostile algae for a while or when it is simply too big for clean water to reach the inside. In order for it to become healthy again, the black parts should be removed and the marimo should be gently re-rolled. It'll be smaller than it was before,  but it now has a good chance of surviving and growing back just fine.

RECOGNIZING A FAKE MARIMO

Artificial marimos are unfortunately a real thing. Most stores don't sell them to you on purpose, but sometimes there is just some confusion. So here are some points to check if you are not sure !

• Artificial moss balls are usually made with a soft plastic ball covered in synthetic hair. The plastic can be a bit obvious.
• Most artificial moss balls are not kept in the plant tanks at aquarium stores. They are often sold pre-packaged or in the decoration sections. This doesn't always apply though.
• You can change the shape of a real marimo by rolling it in between your hands. For example, if it's loopsided you should be able to roll it into a more perfect ball.
• Real marimos can be picked apart (although I would not recommend this)
• A fake marimo is often very perfect looking and smooth. If your marimo has bumps and looks imperfect, there's a good chance it's real.

BYEE

XOXO,

            AISYAH