How to keep moss balls? and moss on wood?

[perplex]

So i decided to get a couple more moss ball things, 'pictures below' and noticed when i moved my original one, the moss wasnt even really stuck to it.. it was just coming off in big lots. so my question is, how do you keep moss balls when the underneath of the moss just dies and then it breaks free, im guessing it will be the same as keeping moss attached to wood, only way it may stay on it is if its grown all around the wood.

 

do you just have to keep starting again? am i going to have this issue with the wood?

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2015 by perplex

[fishmosy]

IME This happens with pretty much all mosses. Once the layer of moss gets too 'thick' then the moss underneath dies off and the moss is no longer attached to the substrate. The answer is to trim the moss regularly.

As an aside, this is also the reason why, when first adding moss, it needs to be added to substrates in a single layer.  

[perplex]

oh well thats abit disappointing... kinda what i though...

my plans for it to grow all over the wood just wont work now.... zzzz unless i keep tying it down

 

 

[buck]

Why wont they work? Just trim it :) 

[perplex]

because they just get to how i like and then they fall apart, and with the wood will be the same thing...

[Foxpuppet]

Use US Fissidens.... Generally gets more length without the underneath dying off.... Or get Marimo ;)

[perplex]

i ended up just taking it out the tank and it all fell off, so i just have to keep putting it back on every couple of months, unless i can get it to grow right around the wood and it will hold onto its self

[Cryptocorynus]

You could just do what you do for marimo balls, in a way. You could free-float it with a ton of current so it's constantly moving around with all parts of it getting equal light. I've found that keeping a current going also helps lowering the rate of stagnation/rot that you get with some mosses. 

[OzShrimp]

I quiet like marimo balls was surprised when they got legalised

[Cryptocorynus]

1 hour ago, OzShrimp said:

I quiet like marimo balls was surprised when they got legalised

They did? Since when?

[OzShrimp]

Ages ago now apparentlly thats why they were more openly advertised. Was what i was told anyway mahbe someone xan confirm difinitively.

 

I had some and then sold them at a loss when aquid were bleaching tanks like 5 years ago lol. So sad

[Foxpuppet]

I quiet like marimo balls was surprised when they got legalised

I've not heard of legalizing them, I still have some though. Been keeping them for nearly 7 years but lost a lot during our renovations.

[Cryptocorynus]

Whether or not they are legal I couldn't tell you, but I'm pretty sure they are still frowned upon by customs either way.

[OzShrimp]

Yeah i can understand why

[OzShrimp]

On 5/8/2016 at 10:17 AM, Cryptocorynus said:

They did? Since when?

Going back to this conversation in relation to marimo balls I found where i saw it mentioned,

Marimo balls were added as permitted for nursery stock so you can own them,

see here

https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/BiconWeb4.0/ViewElement/Element/CaseScientificNames?caseElementPk=294626

under scientific name Cladophora aegagropila. 

[Cryptocorynus]

1 minute ago, OzShrimp said:

Going back to this conversation in relation to marimo balls I found where i saw it mentioned,

Marimo balls were added as permitted for nursery stock so you can own them,

see here

https://bicon.agriculture.gov.au/BiconWeb4.0/ViewElement/Element/CaseScientificNames?caseElementPk=294626

under scientific name Cladophora aegagropila. 

That means you should also be able to import them, yes?

[OzShrimp]

I personally cant answer that question but probably? I wouldnt mind getting a couple for my new tank when its set up 

[zn30]

I have the standard floating balls attached to fishing line my shrimp love them so much the balls strain under the weight of the shrimp.