hi everyone i was thinking of getting some java moss balls to put in my tank! it would help it look more real i think and they look quite good anyway! apparently moss balls are good for algae so thats a bonus! i was talking to some peopel on another forum about them and they said it was all ok for me to put some in with my 4 white clouds and later a betta! i just wanted to double check on here as you are the experts and i also wanted to know how much care they require? thanks in advance!

sorry forgot to put a link to the site where i might be getting them http://www.cornishcrispa.com/catalog/produ...46304949a6705e5 has anyone used this site and found it to be any good for postal charges and delivery rate? sorry yet more questions!

They should be fine with White Clouds and a Betta.Mine did really good without much fuss at all until I made the mistake of putting them in the Goldie Tank.My Moor's thought they died and went to" tossed salad heaven" though and shredded them up in no time.

lol note made 'never put moss in with goldies' thanks ill need that for future reference i heard that you just roll them over now and again is that all they require? thanks

BTW, those plants aren't Java Moss... java Moss is a different plant altogether. the Marimo Ball is actually a higher form of algae.

I love the ones I have now, and I did the same mistake with my first batch years ago - putting them into a goldfish tank. Mine right now are in a 30 gl tank with other plants in pots, and just one single oranda. Yes, its a goldfish again, but he is almost completely blind, and hasn't touched the moss balls at all. If I ever find one nibble at them, he gets separated from his overgrown "soccer balls"...

oh well rooky mistake! a betta wouldnt touch them would he? i was just wondering but im pretty sure he wont!

Bettas are carnivores and they need high protein food. I don't think that it would eat the Marimo Ball, but it might nibble to find out exactly what it is. I don't think he would touch it again, tho.

good good i spose it would be like eating sprouts jkin lol hmmmm actually sprouts are ok i spose *edit* only said that cos mum walked in room

even thought goldies eat them, are they still ok for goldie tanks?? i mean, will it harm the goldies? will they get overfed on them?? i think they're really cool and want to get some, but my goldies will munch on them for sure. should i not bother, or could the moss actually be good for them to eat??

[COLOR=purple]Well, when I looked at a few last year they were hard to find and sorta costly. Are they still?[/color}

not really, look at the link iain gave at the start of the tread.

also, here maidenhead aquatics


they're at a reduced price here tropical-aquarium-plants.co.uk

*smaks self*
I dunno how I missed that link! I don't know what that prices converts to in US dollas, but it doesn't seem like too much. I might have to look into that a little more.

last time i checked 1 uk pound is equal to approx 1.84 us dollars

however, the moss balls mite be more/less costly in the US im not sure, thats ur department!!

Well, I found a cute little informative blog post about Marimo Balls here. It even has two pics, one with great detail and one that shows the size comarison with a bottle cap.

But, I am having a hard time finding online shops in the US that sell them. I know that finding one in a pet shop would be one in a million, the LFS around here doesn't even have Java moss. They rarely have many plants at all!

So far I gather you can get them for around $15 for three or four, plus shipping costs.

wow good site.

one thing worries me, since they 'suck up' all the nutrients, preventing other algae growth, will they be detrimental to my other live plants (java fern and anubias)???

if not then im definately thinking of getting some, they r cool and cute and not too badly priced. it's worth giving them a try with my fancy goldies. best to live and learn!

ps-by the looks of things, that online shop for tropical plants (the last link, with the reduced price, may deliver to the USA)