Marimo Moss Ball Care
If you’re into aquariums as well as plants (like we are) you may already be familiar with Marimo Moss Balls. These little cuties have become a popular aquatic houseplant. They’re actually a type of algae (Aegagropila linnaei), native to freshwater lakes in Estonia, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland. Their relatively easy care makes them a fun addition to your home or office.
⚠️ Before we get into care tips, please be aware that recently zebra mussels have been found in Marimo balls. Zebra mussels are an incredibly invasive species, and guidelines from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for their disposal can be found here. If you’ve recently purchased Marimo Moss Balls, please check the guidelines. ⚠️
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Water & Temperature
You can keep your Marimo in regular tap water, although I always use a water conditioner meant for fish tanks out of an abundance of caution. Change the water out roughly every two weeks if you’re keeping Marimo on their own in a bowl or tank. If you’re keeping them in an aquarium with live animals your water change schedule will be totally different and that’s fine! You can clean any algae growth from the container with a bottle brush or sponge, but don’t use any sort of cleaning fluid on it. The water should stay on the cool side to imitate the natural habitat of your moss balls.
Light
Keep your Marimo out of direct light, or it will begin to turn brown. If you notice browning, simply move them to a lower light area and they should begin to turn green again. Marimo enjoy medium indirect light, and can even be kept in low light situations. Keeping your Marimo away from too much light will also help to keep the water temperature cooler, making your Marimo happier.
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Other Tips
In their natural habitat, the movement of the water would help the moss balls retain their round shape. You can mimic this by stirring the water in your Marimo bowl or tank so that they roll around and come to rest on a different “side.” You can also pull them out of their container and simply roll them around ink your hands to help them keep their shape.
If your Marimo balls are floating, they may have trapped air bubbles inside, so just give them a gentle squeeze to pop the air bubbles.
Sometimes moss balls need to be cleaned up a little. All you need to do to clean them is take them out of their container and give them a rinse, then place them into some clean water and gently squeeze them a few times.
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