Even the name of these cute little aquatic plants sounds mysteriously majestic. To clarify, the Marimo moss ball is not your backyard moss. If fact, they are not really moss at all. They are actually made of algae. These amazing balls are living plants that come from various Northern Hemisphere lakes. The current in the lakes gives them their cute round shape. They grow ever so slowly (about 5 cm per year), and they can live to be about one hundred years old.
We offer sizes: Mini ($4), Small ($7), Medium ($10), Large ($13), and Extra Large ($22). With your moss balls, you can create a small or large terrarium (our large pond terrarium is pictured below). Some customers name their moss balls and keep them as pets, others add them to freshwater fish tanks (be sure to check ahead and see if they agree with your fish type!), and still others use them to bring some plant life to low-light rooms where other plants may not thrive. They are versatile and low maintenance.
Star Trek fans probably recall the ever so troublesome tribbles aboard the Enterprise to which these moss balls have been compared. They have also been likened to puff balls, pom-poms, pets, etc. However you think of them, these plants make amazing conversation starters, and we love them! Check out some low-maintenance Marimo moss ball tips and tricks below.
Marimo Moss Ball care:
- Avoid direct sunlight, especially kept in a glass container like most are.
- The direct sun can turn your Marimo brown, and the sun magnified on the glass can also make the water much to hot for your Marimo to thrive
- Low light, or indirect light is best
- Keep Marimo in water
- You can have a Marimo outside of water for transit, or for short durations, but for long-term living situations, they are going to need to be submerged in water.
- Use distilled water efor optimal care
- Leaving a jug or container of tap water out on your counter for 24 hours before using on your moss ball should do the trick!
- Change out the water once per week
- When you change out the water, also gently squeeze your moss ball to clean it. Squeezing it also helps it to keep its nice round shape.
- Remember to also periodically clean out the rocks at the bottom of your vessel if you have them
- If you notice a little piece of algae come off from your moss ball, this is normal
- This is how new moss balls are created.