Hi all, just wanted to let you know my moss balls arrived today.
I'm so excited I have been waiting 3-4 weeks for them to get here.

Right now they are soaking in some tank water that I pulled from the tank, they were pretty dry when I pulled them out of the envelope.

I do have a question, What should I do to them so I don't add anything to my tank? Should I sterilize them in any way?

For those of you who have them, What did you guys do? Thanks any input would be appreciated. I'm scared, I don't want any nasties going in my tank.

Laurie

Lucky you. Mine are still floating around in the mail somewhere..........

I should think that the standard pp bath for 20 minutes should take care of nasties as well as hitchhiker snails and such. Anyone with other info? This is important!

Boy, do we need Andrea.......

If you want to sterilize, Jungle Clear water is .055% Potassium Permaganate. It is very effective and easy to use.

Daryl, I'm assuming the PP in your reply is the potassium permaganate?

What is this? I have never heard of this, and where do I get it?

Thnks guys

Ok I looked this up on the internet and it says it can KILL algae. So wouldn't I be taking a chance of killing my moss balls since they are basically algae?

Also it is a little expensive, is there anything else I could do?

OK - potassium permanganate is used to kill snails, bacteria and such. I use it to disinfect my normal aquatic plants - a 20 minute soak in the purply-pink water and all is good. I have not heard about it killing algae.......

This is something we need to know......KINGYO!!!!!! Answer us please - you know all this stuff!!!!!!!

I just rinsed my moss balls out in some tank water.

As they are aquacultured, and not in tanks with fish, I didn't worry too much about it. Everything is good so far.

Laura

I have to admit that I did the same thing....I was so excited that they finally cam that I didn't even think to sterilize them! ---If they would have come from someone's aquarium-then I think it would have been a different matter!I know....better safe than sorry,and I just ordered a bunch of plants on line and will definately start practising that method.

Anyone else????? Please I really don't want anything to happen to them and I also don't want to just stick them in the tank.

Thanks

i just ordered mine about an hour ago can't wait to get them !!! i hope they come b4 2 weeks cause in 2 weeks school starts

I know there's other things to use-tried finding the place I saw it---sorry! What did you end up doing? One of mine took forever to sink!

Well I haven't done anything yet. I still have them soaking in tank water. They are huge compared to when I got them! Man did they swell.
They are about 3-4 inches in diameter. I haven't measured them, but I think that is about right.

I was going to do the bleach solution, then when I got it all ready I chickened out. Doesn't bleach kill algae too? I PMed Daryl, but she isn't on yet. I don't know who else to ask, any ideas?

Andrea....Maybe toothy or Emma.

Thanks I'll try Paul and Emma. Andrea was the first one I PMed, but know one has heard anything, gosh I do hope she is ok.

Do you know if Paul was in the area the hurrican hit?

Toothy's fine! I've seen him off and on. If I'm not mistaken,I think Paul lives on opposite side? Don't quote me on that though! I know he got rain-surf was up a little more etc. Wait a minute-That's Ceridwen on opposite side-Toothy is on Eastcoast side-same as Andrea-He's all the way up in St Augustine though.

I have tried Kingyo, also, for he knows a tremendous amount about plants and such.

My moss balls just arrived a bit ago. Of the four, two are nothing but brown dry crumblies, one has some green left and one looks pretty good. They are soaking in a bowl of used fish water right now.

The only answer I can think of is to put them in water that has no fish at all. Most parasites and diseases will cease to exist if they have no host to support them. After 5-7 (10?) days, I then plan to place them in my tropicals tank and keep an eye on things.

I am loathe, just as you, Laurie, to PP them or bleach them or anything. (mine had lots of ants inside the package when I opened it! - there are now dead ant bodies floating in the water!

Daryl,did you order those from that guy in Germany also? I cant believe you had ants!!! How awful! And crumbly balls???? That doesn't sound too good either! Wonder what ahppened? <_<

Yuck, I do hope the person you bought them from replaces them. And without ants this time.

Thanks goodness mine looked ok. They were pretty dry though, man did they get big when I soakes them.

I just can't wait to put them in the tank, I think the gf are going to love them.

Thanks for all your help!!!!

It was from the same place as you - but mine may have sat in the stupid mail truck for a few days - we live rurally and the post "person" is not very reliable, responsible or anything else.....

I think the ants were a recent addition - there was a hole in the bag.....

No reimbursment is available. It is made abundantly clear when yo order that it is a matter of "you pays your money - you takes your chances)".

They were not that expensive. I shall wait and see on the two that have potential. If I cannot grow them and divide them, then I will probably order more in the future......

Sigh......

Well lets hope they grow quickly.

I do know that when Andrea ordered hers it took a while and she emailed him and he thru in a couple more just for satisfaction.

It nevers hurts to ask.

I heard someone, I think on this board, say that to "perk up" the moss balls, the put them in a glass or a bowl in a sunny window, to get them nice and green. I have two in my 55 gallon, one in my 10 gallon, and one in my 5 gallon fry tank. The one in the fry tank is really green, because it is near a window. I think I'm going to have to either rotate the others to that tank or put them on the windowsill from time to time to keep them green.

daryl: ANTS yuck! They must have been going for the moisture in the package. I live out in the sticks also, and have had to go and pick up packages from the post office because the postal carrier drives a station wagon and it got too full, and of course, the package was live plants! I feel your frustration!

I think "quarantine" is a good idea for them. Like I said, I didn't do it and haven't had a problem, but really, better safe than sorry.

Laura

Yeah that is what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna try and go 10 days, but that is a long time. We'll see how it goes, with them not being in a tank and just in water I don't want them to get stagnate and rot.

I don't have any, but I remember when AquaBotanic got some in Robert said you have to ocassionally "roll" them back into a compact ball or they get all big and loose looking.

www.aquabotanic.com has a forum for plants, heck theentire site is plants, and I know a TON of people over there went nuts over these moss/algae balls, you could ask there for advice on what to do with them.

Oh, also, someone either on here or applesnail.net mentioned putting moss balls in the refrigerator for a few days to make them grow more. Apparently, moving from cold to warm kicks off a growth spurt...

Laura

thats really intresting.... yesterday i went to the pe store and saw some
moss balls i didn't get one but i was so tempted they looked so great
They where 5.99 for each one.... and they where about 2 inches wide 2 inches
long .... maby sunday ill go get some....

They're pretty cool Alex. My one little calico has been seen quite a few times pushing one of them around!!! He thinks it's an exercise ball!!!

"Late at night, the strange thumping noise awakens her....... Fear grips her with its icy fingers, running down her back in shivers. With great trepedation, she picks up the fireplace poker and peeks around the edge of the doorway.....

Thump thumpthump!

What could it be?

Then she heaves a sigh of relief and laughs out loud - for it is just an impromptu pickup game the goldies have staged - two on two as they dribble the moss ball through the back court and shoot -

Thump THUMP!"

Daryl,that is too funny!!!!! I'm telling you everyone has checked them out-picking at them here and there,but this little calico is messing with it everytime I look! I remember seeing this dog on the funniest video's pushing a rock around his yard,and this funny male voice in the back saying"Pushing a rock,pushing a rock,pushing a rock" I think of that clip everytime I see her!

Thanks for that info I'll check it out.

Daryl,
That was to funny. I'm hoping that is what my goldies do, kind of an enrichment toy.

Sharon,
I remember that dog, he was so funny. One of my dogs is that way, only it isn't pushing the ball, she does it with fetch. She has to be constantly running for the ball or she's going nuts. I always say she is saying "gotta get the ball, gotta get the ball, gotta get the ball".

Ok, the moss balls are in the tank. I added them this morning, I figure with the 7 days in my quar. and a few days in the mail all should be good.

They look so nice I'll post pictures later when the hubby can help me.

Jester is scared to death of them. Sapphire is "who cares", CB well he is confused and Smudge and Squirt think they are to nibble on. This better end, or I'm gonna freak.
I want moss balls. I did not go thru all of this to have those 2 pigs think they are a snack.
I bumped up their food alittle to help them "getting use" to them being in there. Hopefully it'll take their minds off a "chew" toy being in the tank.
I'll keep you posted on how things are going.

Daryl how is yours doing? Devs, Starsmom????

I have mine in a tank that is all plants, no fish. They have greened up somewhat on one side, but one side on each ball is brown and flakey. It looks like about1/2 of each ball may be dead. I am hoping, in time, the rest will regrow.

Mine did not swell up in size like you reported. They are still kinda flat and hard.

You made me laugh! I so hope the goldies don't think a new diner just opened in town! This was the ultimate reason I decided not to buy plants yesterday..the lady at store thought my fish would plow through whatever I put in there...that she had in stock. After all your hard work...I'm crossing fingers for you! I'm going to look at the goldfish show next weekend. Is there anything you want me to keep an eye out for you for? Also, if you want to go...let me know! I figure that might be the best place to find a good plant they won't eat in 1 day!

Thanks Lisa, but for now I just have to dream. Maybe take some pictures????

Daryl,
That has to suck, I do hope they come back to life. Sorry all this talk of mine probably has you thinking ###&&&*** (bad stuff).
I still think I would email him about it.
All he could do is say no. Maybe ask Ranchu.
Good luck.
I'm still going to post a picture, probably tomorrow, the hubby is to busy tonight.

Laurie is right, Daryl, write the guy an email and complain. Maybe you get lucky and he will replace them. When mine took more than 3 weeks without arriving at my house, I complained as well, and found 2 extra balls when they finally got here. It never hurts to try.....

mine just got here they took a little over a week i have them soaking in a little container with tank water in it. there so kool and there so fuzzy i was surprised when i got them this soon cause u guys where saying 2-4 weeks.

I can get them at my LFS(its the biggest aquarium store in maryland). does salt, water conditioner, or aquarisol hurt them? I put aquarisol as a preventative in all my tanks. What about meds? or poo from medi-gold? Does that stuff hurt them?

Thanks, Megan

Hi bugirl, I don't think salt will hurt them, but I'm not sure on the other stuff. I haven't heard of that before.
I don't think medigold or the waste from it hurts them, I recently was feeding medigold.

Must be nice having a store that has them. None of the stores around here do.

daryl:

Mine have brown patches on them too, except for one of the smaller ones. *sigh* The parts that are green are really green and growing well. Right now they are on the windowsill in glasses of water, I change the water every day. But it seems as if the brown parts are rotting? I suppose if it gets real bad I could cut off the brown parts, but then they won't be moss "balls" anymore... I haven't tried the refrigerator thing yet.

I'll let you all know how it turns out...

Glad yours are doing well after all that time waiting LaurieP!

Laura

Thanks, One of mine has some brown patches now. I think they are getting bigger, but then again it could be my imagination.

I do wonder how Daryl's is doing.
These brown patches they do look like "dead" material. Are you going to cut them off?
If so let me know how it goes. I'm so paranoid about these things. You'd think they were fish the way I fuss over them.

My middle sized moss ball also had brown spot on it. I didn't think about it-just figured it would start growing back green-WRONG!!! In the time I've had it,it's more than half brown allready. That really stinks!!! <_<

mine r big and green really poofy no brown one of pnes i got for my brothers tropical tank has a crack in it which is sealing up pretty good but mine look awsome.