# Marimo balls at Petco



## jimko (Aug 17, 2007)

pictures???


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

Yea they use to sell moss wrapped around a styro ball.

These marimo ball are real, but the ones I have seen are always in poor shape.


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## fishbone (Aug 16, 2011)

Sorry jimko, no pics.
These look real to me so if I can spot some good looking ones I'll grab a couple. I'll try to take pics when I can.


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

Ouch... 10 dollars for something as small as a golf ball? That's usually the size of the marimo balls I see in big chain stores. I know that pet-co/smart sell real marimo balls, just overpriced and usually dead on the other half and sometimes something hard as a rock on the center when you squeeze them.

Make sure you check all sides for brown spots. If one side is flatter than the rest, it was never rolled properly (do chain stores even do this?). Make sure it feels soft when squeezed.


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## allegoriest (Jul 9, 2010)

I've seen marimo there, but they're always so expensive, and always have this fungus-y halo. I've seen them at petsmart for a few dollars cheaper, they're usually pretty nice there. And they've always pulled them out, squeezed out the water, and shown me them. The ones at petco seem to be sick and tiiiny. Petsmart are still small, but usually greener and cheaper. 



And, I'm the only person who hasn't encountered these balls wrapped with moss, aren't I?  

I did see moss carpets at petco, that were a little cheaper than their marimo, and really green, and I was like, ooh. Then, a dead fish floated on top and I was kinda hrm. Oh wells.


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## PinoyBoy (Mar 14, 2008)

Yeah, those floating styrofoam ball wrapped with dying moss? They're like $5.99. I want to buy their moss carpet/wall but I'm not sure if they'll thrive because the ones they have seems to die within a week or two. And I've kept moss in a small bowl/glass and it's alive and doing nice.


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## fishbone (Aug 16, 2011)

I'm gonna take a look at petsmart as well but the ones Petco had seemed very healthy and were actually in a tank with a current that moved them. I agree $9 is a bit steep but if they're real why not.


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## Studman0143 (Mar 20, 2011)

They are the real thing and Petsmart has them for $7.99 and they go on sale a few times a year for $5.99. I have had one for several months. It is still going strong, has barely even grown, but if I mess with it too much it kind of starts to come apart. It may be more my problem that it's doing that, but that's ok.

LPS here in Utah weren't any cheaper than Petsmart, so I bought mine there. So if you can find one cheaper than $8, I think you have a great deal.


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## AshleyMac (Jun 22, 2011)

Got mine at Petsmart for $8 too. I got it on shipment day and it has grown a bit over the course of two months. Real thing and healthy. Just make sure you are moving it around or you will give it a flat butt.


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## Jericho199 (Mar 18, 2011)

Marimo balls are not a true moss, but a type of macro algae. They are shaped into balls by currents. They are found in Japan, but I think most of the ones available for purchase are harvested around Iceland.


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## fishbone (Aug 16, 2011)

It's true, because in Japan they are under conservation protection, plus they are quite important in the culture (they represent luck).


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