2 Giant Marimo Moss Balls (1.5-2.5 inches, 8-15 Years Old!) - Over 5X AS Large AS Nano MARIMO! - Great for Fish, Shrimp, and Snails! by Aquatic Arts

They came in great healthy condition and doubled in size once added to water, one floated for a while but soon sank once the air dissipated from it. They are a good size at least 5cm(2inches) I did quarantine them in a bowl for a couple of days and gave them a squeeze to make sure there wasn’t any hitchhiker pesties and all was fine. Excellent value for money, would definitely buy again!

For those of you unsure of what this item is: marimo, luffy or moss balls are a rare growth form of Aegagropila linnaei (a species of filamentous green algae, so, not a moss despite their appearance) in which the algae grow into soft balls with a velvety texture. The plant was named marimo by the Japanese botanist Takiya Kawakami in 1898. Mari is a bouncy play ball. Mo is a generic term for plants that grow in water. The balls are green all the way round which guarantees that they can photosynthesize no matter which side is turned upwards. Occasionally move your marimo to keep its round shape and stop it going brown underneath. There’s no central stone or kernel inside the ball - it’s solid algae, radiating from the centre, growing radially outward at the snail’s pace of just 5mm per year. Ideal for those who don’t want to keep trimming plants. They are very easy to look after - Keep your Marimo where they will receive low to medium indirect light. Protect your marimo from the direct rays of the sun, as Marimos can easily turn brown if they are getting too much direct light! Remember - they are native to cool lakes, and should be kept cool. Marimo are well adapted to low light spaces and can photosynthesize in normal household light. If your space has no window, keep marimo close to a fluorescent or full-spectrum bulb. Some people have bowls of marimo balls as “pets”. Despite being a plant several people seem to take pleasure in growing them and taking care of them as they demand little attention. I ordered these marimo balls for an eco-jar to act as a filter and oxygenator. I didn’t want anything too big so these were ideal according to the description. The balls which arrived are about the size of golf balls, which is what I wanted. They looked fairly green and looked relatively healthy despite being a bit dry. They arrived in a sandwich bag within a box and regained their shape within a few hours of being introduced back to water. I have since noticed something tiny which appears to be living in the balls - smaller than a daphnia even, so no idea what that is or even if it arrived via the marimos, but it's not causing any problems to my tank so I'm not too concerned. Marimo are a welcome addition to my freshwater aquarium jars as they naturally absorb toxic nitrates in water and act like miniature filters, cleaning the water, so for tanks or jars which have no inhabitants likely to eat or destroy the Marimos these are ideal additions, helping with a symbiotic relationship where they absorb any nasties in the water and feed off waste and any foods and in return, they provide filtering abilities and oxygen. They can be taken out and rinsed off as part of a water change to keep them fresh. Very happy with this purchase, would recommend and will gladly buy again.

From description of “Giant “ moss balls I expected some of a decent size but they are really small plus they arrived in a small box so squeezed flat. I’m now put them in Prime water and they are starting to recover.

These are ok Dont seem to be growing,

I bought two of these Aquatic Arts 2 Giant Marimo Moss Balls for my Guppy tank and they really did help to keep the water clear, they also got MASSIVE! They came about the size of a golf ball, but after about 2 years they were about grapefruit sized, I almost wanted to give them their own tank as I got really into growing them. They do shed off a little and try to start growing elsewhere in the tank if you don't look after them, but they are by no mean anywhere near the maintenance if the aquarium itself. I'm really happy with the quality of the water with the live moss balls, and rotating them so they got even light wasn't a problem.

I feel like a man wrote this advert. This is a VERY VERY small 1.5inches haha

Came tightly sealed in plastic within a cardboard box. Neither look very healthy but one is really quite brown. Have added to the tank in the hope it thrives but won’t hold my breath. Disappointed…

These are (or should I say were) nice moss balls. Nice size and very healthy looking. The reason I say "were" nice is that in just a week my goldfish have absolutely destroyed them, lol. I did buy them knowing this may happen but some people have luck with these and goldfish some don't. My great big lump of an Oranda has bitten chunks off and eaten them. Just keep this in mind if you buy these for a goldish tank. The moss balls themselves WERE lovely. Arrived quickly too.