Marimo Balls

kass · Post by **kass** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:31 pm

I just got 4 marimo balls in the mail that were not in water. Do you think it is safe to just put them in BW (1.006) or should I acclimate them?

Phaedrus · Post by **Phaedrus** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:32 pm

I'd acclimate them. Better safe than sorry. It would be a shame if they disintegrated.

Do you mean that they were shipped to you dry?

kass · Post by **kass** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:34 pm

Yea they were shipped dry. But they look really healthy still, after 9 days of shipping..

Phaedrus · Post by **Phaedrus** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:36 pm

Weird.

I'd leave them in fresh water for a while to make sure they are still healthy, and then slowly bring them up to 1.006 over a couple days.

kass · Post by **kass** » Thu Jun 01, 2006 4:43 pm

Sounds like a good idea. They're in fresh water now.

The Fisherman · Post by **The Fisherman** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:51 pm

thats cool, i just picked up one of these for my DP tank.

how many do you think it would take to noticably affect nitrAtes in a 6g eclipse tank? ive also got 2 rotilla indicas, and java moss in that tank.

kass · Post by **kass** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 6:55 pm

I'm pretty sure they grow very slowly...

GekkoGeck0 · Post by **GekkoGeck0** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:14 pm

The Fisherman wrote:how many do you think it would take to noticably affect nitrAtes in a 6g eclipse tank? ive also got 2 rotilla indicas, and java moss in that tank.

You'd probably have to fill it to the brim with marimo balls, and then, they probably still wouldn't make a difference.

They grow incredibly slowly.

You can try Hygrophila polysperma or Hygrophila difformis. They grow quickly and therefore soak up plenty of nitrates. In a 6 gallon tank, however, you may be doing a lot of trimming. I've seen my H. polysperma grow an inch a day.

Tropica has a pretty extensive list of plants, and has an advanced search option where you can search for plants for your needs. http://www.tropica.com

Basically any plant that grows fast will absorb nitrates faster than a plant that grows slow. This poses a problem in smaller tanks, because faster growing plants outgrow smaller tanks faster... But with enough trimming (think lawnmower here, down to 2-3 inches) stem plants like the Hygro I mentioned can become quite bushy and look really good.

You didn't mention your lighting situation, but if you've got a fair bit of light over that tank, you can also try Hemianthus micranthemoides. It can grow upwards like a stem plant, or be laid on its side and allowed to grow upwards slightly, and then trimmed, to create a carpet. It's also a fast grower, with enough light.

perek · Post by **perek** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 7:16 pm

The true Nitrate killer is Hornwort, that stuff grows like wildfire.

GekkoGeck0 · Post by **GekkoGeck0** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 8:33 pm

perek wrote:The true Nitrate killer is Hornwort, that stuff grows like wildfire.

Unfortunately, it tends to be difficult to aquascape with, having no roots. I didn't mention it for that reason, most people don't use it long term because it just floats there and looks like a furry rope.

Even if you weigh it down, it grows so fast you're pretty much trimming it every day.

perek · Post by **perek** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:17 pm

GekkoGeck0 wrote:
perek wrote:The true Nitrate killer is Hornwort, that stuff grows like wildfire.
Unfortunately, it tends to be difficult to aquascape with, having no roots. I didn't mention it for that reason, most people don't use it long term because it just floats there and looks like a furry rope.

Even if you weigh it down, it grows so fast you're pretty much trimming it every day.

But my 20L tanks nitrates have read under 10ppm everytime I have measured it, and many times at 0ppm (undetectable).

I like to keep it in one corner of my tank as a refuge for shrimp and snails.

The Fisherman · Post by **The Fisherman** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:45 pm

oh.... i thought that moss balls were the best nitrAte absorber....

perek · Post by **perek** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:46 pm

The Fisherman wrote:oh.... i thought that moss balls were the best nitrAte absorber....

Hardly, they dont even do alot of damage.

The Fisherman · Post by **The Fisherman** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:18 am

what do they do then? they do look nice but they are kinda expensive. i paid 8 bucks for a really good quality one from my LFS.

ill pos tpics of my DP tank once i get it arranged properly. still waiting for the driftwood to sink.

GekkoGeck0 · Post by **GekkoGeck0** » Sat Jun 03, 2006 12:59 am

perek wrote:But my 20L tanks nitrates have read under 10ppm everytime I have measured it, and many times at 0ppm (undetectable).

I like to keep it in one corner of my tank as a refuge for shrimp and snails.

It's not always desirable in a planted tank to keep nitrates down at 0. They need nitrates to survive.

Hornwort is a great nitrate sponge, yes, but so are other plants.

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