# How to grow marimo balls very fast



## Vladdy

I bought a marimo ball on eBay after I did some research on cultivating them. It is usual that they grow only around 5mm a year. I read that if you take one and make several little clumps out of it, it will grow much quicker. Has anyone ever done this with success? From the article below, the author supposedly had significant growth in the marimo in only a month.

Here's the link
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant, Japanese Moss Balls.htm


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## legomaniac89

IME they grow _really_ slow, no matter what. But I've never tried dividing a big one up like that guy did, so I guess there's no harm in trying.


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## Vladdy

The marimo ball came in the mail yesterday, all the way from the United Kingdom, in perfect condition except for being a little squished. I ripped it into a bunch of pieces and fluffed each piece up like a cotton ball. I checked on them this morning, and each piece seems fluffier and a little rounder, but to be sure that it isn't a placebo effect, I took some photos of them yesterday and I will take some photos today and I will compare the photos. I will post the photos of the growth of the marimo.


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## Craig

I think this is a trick of the eye or just how you perceive them.

example is you take a 1 inch marimo ball and it grows 1 inch in total diameter it looks twice as big. look how much it grew!

take a 4-6 inch marimo ball and have it grow an inch it only grew slightly in comparison to the total ball so its perceived growth is less. Also you gotta think that even if the 4-6 inch ball only grew a 1/2 inch that it id more than the 1 inch ball because the surface area is so much greater.

anyways that's my take on it


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## demosthenes

actually, i disagree with craig here. a 4-6 inch ball will only grow 1 inch in a given amount of time, a 1 inch ball will grow the same amount in the same given time period. BUT, if you break up the 4-6 inch ball into 4-6 one-inch balls, and each one grows 1 inch in the given period, then you have 4-6 inches of growth instead of 1.


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## markopolo

surface area of 4 inch diameter ball with radius of 2 inches, 4(pi)r^2 = 50.265 sq inch

volume of a 4 inch ball = 4/3 (pi) r^3 = 33.5 cubic inches

now lets say u divide the ball into several 1 inch diameter balls with radii of .5 inches

volume of a 1 inch diameter ball with radii of .5 inches = 4/3 (pi) r^3 = 0.52 inches, 

volume of 4 inch ball / volume of 1 inch balls this gives us the number of one inch balls we can make out of the volume of the 4 inch ball

therefore we should be able to make 64.4 balls with one inch diameter.

back to original equation to calculate surface area of 64.4 balls with one inch diameter 

4 (pi) r^2 * 64 (for 64 balls) = ~201 sq. inches

therefore, i would anticipate that with 4 x as much surface area for the balls to grow that there would be roughly 4 x as much growth because the balls have more surface area exposed to the light and nutrients, yadda yadda 

this is all just an example, im not sure what vladdy did if my math is wrong please correct me lol,


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## tremendotron

So, 1.5 years later... any updates?


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## anshuman

lolz, no updates eh. I just got this balls from malaysia , 3 balls, and i use excel so got worried and started googling , landed here.

So do they flourish or not? what was the growth ?


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## Oscar17

I had a Marimo Ball at one time. I divided it up into smaller pieces, but I never notice any fast growth. If anything they grew very slow for me, could have been my set up.

Of course Marimo Balls grow in a current that constantly turns them and thus the round shape of them. So you would probably have to constantly turn them to achieve even growth on all sides and the round effect.


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## sapphoqueen

I have now 6 marimo balls!

Because when the LFS woman ask me which one I want?
I go for the long one about 10 cm longiline and deformed one, she thinks what a fool !!!...

he, he, he,  >>>>>> at home I transformed it to 6 little balls.

Who got a place in my special stone botomed Diy co2 and full of floating riccia fish bowl in what I put the weekly mulm what I was vacuming in my 10 gallon tank!

When the natural light going down i turn on my desk lamp and the marimo moss balls continue the pearling!!!
they get a early morning stiring to keep the round shape!

So they are growing???? or not?


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## anshuman

nice thanks for the replies. 

I think if you squeeze them and if they still collect air and start bouncing on top . that is growing i.e active marimo , the bounce and rolling stimulates more growth.  from what i read on google so far.

I am very intrigued by the significance Marimo balls has in Japanese culture. They are considered good luck, kept near cash counters or in homes , people make wishes to marimo balls and if it keeps growing/healthy people see it as very good luck , its round shape and green colour is assumed as healthy green version on mother earth etc. Very nice. 

But i got this marimo balls totally dried up due to shipping , they were gift , the friend is in malaysia and he didnt knew it will take 11 days to ship at my place  . i have sinked them in tank and squeezed them in round shape, Hope they dont die off and come alive and pearling and bouncing . even that will be enuf for me .


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## calmingeffects

Just ordered my first Marimo and am so excited to have found this community so I wanted to think the original poster for this thread because it came up in a google search and lead me here!!

Thanks


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## sapphoqueen

Marimo! Marimo! Hai !

Thats the real samurai warcry? 

My little balls had stop growing after we are moved for a new location the old was faced to the morning sun. 

I will not tell you the focusing sunrays story who burnt the furniture along his path but happend for real.

Lol

So they don't love the afternoon sun I think.


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## apisto420

wow i always thought it was a rock


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## F22

I had one for years, I never saw any growth, but it didn't die either. Lol


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## msnikkistar

The marimos I just sold off were smaller then a golf ball.

One was the size of a quarter, and in a year and a half, it ended up being golf ball sized.
The other was slightly smaller then a golf ball, and two years later it was tennis ball sized.


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## [email protected]

I wonder if marimo balls would flourish in an egg tumbler?


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## F22

Wow, that's a really wacky idea, prolly work great though.


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## kuyrin

*Marimos / Moss Balls or more specifically Aegagropila Linnaei*

here is a couple of links for those interested in cultivation these mossy balls.

theaquariumwiki.com/Aegagropila_linnaeii
greenculturesg.com/articles/jun07/jun07_marimos.pdf

You can divide your balls and those divisions will begin growing.
When in the right condition your balls will float and then begin parting on their own. When your balls drop... Well, we know what happens. Hehehehe. :hihi:
I couldn't resist! But in all seriousness follow those links for growing information.


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## funkyfish

I had one marimo ball and it didn't do to good actually it kinda died on me. But I think it wasn't in the great condition to begin with. I'll get another one and try those cultivation tips. I also want to try and attach some of it to wood..


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## andrewjfrosenbaum579

Hey, i'm new here but I've kept and propogated marimo for 3 years now. They survive just fine but even after 2 years since their division, they haven't grown in a compacted ball. Their strands are spaced apart and they puff out everywhere. They are all fluffy and when i try to round them, they look like sausages. 

What wrong with them?

I still have one massive marimo which i didnt split and it grows just fine. Its still a large round compacted ball.


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## ADA

andrewjfrosenbaum579 said:


> Hey, i'm new here but I've kept and propogated marimo for 3 years now. They survive just fine but even after 2 years since their division, they haven't grown in a compacted ball. Their strands are spaced apart and they puff out everywhere. They are all fluffy and when i try to round them, they look like sausages.
> 
> What wrong with them?
> 
> I still have one massive marimo which i didnt split and it grows just fine. Its still a large round compacted ball.


Anyone have info on how to correctly split them? Mine hollowed in the middle (only just).. it's about twice the size of a golf ball.. I carefully tore it in half, and have been using a very fine thread to wrap around it until I get a round shape.. is this the way to do it? The only issue I could think of, is maybe I am compacting them too tight? 

If I don't wrap them though, will they ever grow into balls, or just remain irregularly shaped clumps? Thanks!


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## CPTHOMAS

I just picked up a Marimo Ball at PetSmart in Beaverton, Oregon! I was pretty surprised to see them there...Just an FYI...easier than shipping them to you from overseas. Mine is beautiful and fluffy. I will check back on tips to keep it growing...


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## juststarthere

*something to ask here..*

im just new here. i'm nt sure dis page if i post question need to pay o not? 

i bought a marimo ball tat day through online.. but i'm not sure what kind of water i nid to use. i can use filter water ? o i nid 2 use pipe water?


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## ADA

juststarthere said:


> im just new here. i'm nt sure dis page if i post question need to pay o not?
> 
> i bought a marimo ball tat day through online.. but i'm not sure what kind of water i nid to use. i can use filter water ? o i nid 2 use pipe water?


Welcome!

No, you don't need to pay, to post here.

Marimo balls do pretty well in tap water, just make sure you have an established tank (one that has cycled to grow the good bacteria) and when you add water or do water changes, you can either add a dechlorinator or just leave the bucket of water out for a couple of days, which should give most of the chlorine time to evaporate on it's own before adding to the tank.

Good luck! Marimo malls are awesome!


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## GeToChKn

ADA said:


> you can either add a dechlorinator or just leave the bucket of water out for a couple of days, which should give most of the chlorine time to evaporate on it's own before adding to the tank.


Sorry, but I find this advice outdated as lots of water companies use Chloramine now and not Chlorine and the whole reason for using Chloramine is that it doesn't evaporate and still provides the antibacterial properties until the water reaches your house.


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## ADA

GeToChKn said:


> Sorry, but I find this advice outdated as lots of water companies use Chloramine now and not Chlorine and the whole reason for using Chloramine is that it doesn't evaporate and still provides the antibacterial properties until the water reaches your house.


I stand corrected. Thanks


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## TheWoo

I recently bought 10 for $10 and I am interested in learning what amount of light is used for maximum benefit. I also have read that to make them grow round they need a fast turnover, has anyone used this method and if so what where the results?


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## PinoyBoy

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Plant, Japanese Moss Balls.htm

I don't know if the information presented in the website listed above is still true today (last update seems to be 2005) for that page. Good time lapsed documentation of it's growth IMO.


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## nature

what to do if my marimo have some yellow colour?


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## Jen8560

andrewjfrosenbaum579 said:


> Hey, i'm new here but I've kept and propogated marimo for 3 years now. They survive just fine but even after 2 years since their division, they haven't grown in a compacted ball. Their strands are spaced apart and they puff out everywhere. They are all fluffy and when i try to round them, they look like sausages.
> 
> What wrong with them?
> 
> I still have one massive marimo which i didnt split and it grows just fine. Its still a large round compacted ball.



I have the same problem, I have a bunch spread across tanks and they are very "fluffy" (which means that they shed out miniature new marimo all the time) and they usually are flattish on one or two sides. My fish just don't get them rolling around enough to keep them in correct form. I was almost thinking that they need something like a 2-lieter pop bottle with an air hose to get them tumbling around for a few weeks before being sent back into their tanks


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## jjt

It says site needs authorization 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


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## devilduck

I believe the majority of the marimo balls out now are artificially grown in south east Asia. They found ways to grow them relatively quickly, which is why they are so widely available now.


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## jjt

How is this done? Id like to have one like this: m.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZmbLbDcMeE

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2


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## shrimpcrazy00

Ok so I purchased one and the seller on ebay sent me a link I'll post here. But apparently if it's getting yellow spots it's sick and you need to wash it out in very slightly salty water to heal the sickness, to do this you gently squeeze the old water out of the ball and put it in the salty water to absorb the new water while doing this you roll the ball between your hands like you would make a mud ball or gum ball or just roll a ball round and round between your hands that's how you get them to keep their shape... you also have to take them from their tanks once a week and roll the dirty water out of them before replacing into your tanks to absorb the fresh water, I personally plan on doing it during my weekly water changes it makes sense to me. BTW marimo balls are a form of ALGAE can you believe we have all bought the one thing we fight so hard to keep OUT of our tanks???


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## shrimpcrazy00

http://www.aqmagic.com/help/marimo/guide.html


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