🌟 Exclusive Amazon Black Friday Deals 2024 🌟

Don’t miss out on the best deals of the season! Shop now 🎁

Mariano ball topiary???

Magnum Man

Supporting Member
Tank of the Month 🏆
Fish of the Month 🌟
Joined
Jun 21, 2023
Messages
3,905
Reaction score
2,746
Location
Southern MN
I did up 4 balls standing on each other ( stainless wire through the middle… if I were as artistic as some of you, I would do topiaries
IMG_4464.jpeg
IMG_4465.jpeg
 
I would love to get one of those... have my eye on one seller who has small ones supposedly in stock...

The wire doesn't hurt them at all, eh? How dense are those things inside?
 
Mine are solid, like they were rolled into balls
 
I nearly have enough balls, so to speak, to try a topiary… I just going to do an 8 inch “floating” circle ( it’ll actually be mounted on the bottom, with about a 2 inch piece of plain wire ( it’s all stainless ) holding it up off the bottom… since the Marimo balls are kind of Asian, it’s going into the Asian tank, and has to be able to withstand the 7 - 8 inch Tinfoil barbs… I currently have 12 loose Marimo balls n my South American tank, holding them until they get slid onto the stainless ring, when I have collected enough to fill it

IMG_4676.jpeg
 
Ordering a couple orders of balls each month… 4 more arrived today, getting close to enough to fill the ring… most are just tumbling around the tank…
IMG_4698.jpeg
 
Taking a long time but my Marimo topiary is about 2/3 done… the pandas jumped right on to it… they actually found the exposed stainless the most interesting… the tin foils are eyeing it skeptical… but imagine in a few hours, they’ll be swimming through the ring… because these algae balls are Asian, this is going into the Asian tank… base will be covered with substrate in a few weeks, when I get enough balls to finish the ring
IMG_4794.jpeg
IMG_4795.jpeg
 
Last edited:
it took longer than I thought, but less than a week, and the skeptical Tin Foils have taken nicely to the ring… got 6 balls floating around the tank, will pull the ring out and finish it when the next order of balls comes
IMG_4807.jpeg
 
Last edited:
You do realize that what causes the algae to form itself into a ball is the wave action in the lakes where they are found? In order for them to maintain their round shape they neeed to roll around which they do in nature. This esposes them to light on all sides and the mpvement helps to keep them round as well.

I kept "moss balls" many years ago and learned that oif i did not turn them regularly they became lumps not balls.

Common Problems With Marimo Moss Balls​


Besides turning brown from too much or insufficient light, some marimo moss balls will occasionally float or lose their round shape. Floating occurs due to trapped air bubbles in the plant. To get them to sink again, give them a gentle squeeze to pop the air bubble. The marimo will sink to the bottom of the tank within a couple of days. Marimo can lose their round shape due to a lack of agitation in the water. Remember, it's the wave motion that keeps them round in their natural habitat. "They need to be swirled around in the bowl they are in to mimic that environment and keep them round," says Steinkopf. "It also helps them get light around the ball. If one side doesn't ever get any light, it will turn brown."
 

Most reactions

Back
Top