# Water Pump



## mari.mo (Feb 26, 2013)

Hello,

I have a tank about 30 gallons in size with 100 small marimo (moss balls;algae) in it. They are just sitting on the bottom and I need to find a pump that can successfully push the water around enough so that they are always being pushed around. Because it is a tank with just moss balls in it, I am not looking to spend a large amount of money.

From my research it looks like this could be a possibility of what I need: http://www.bigalspets.ca/fish/maxi-jet-pro-multi-use-water-pump-600.html

However, many of you are experts in this area so I will ask you if any of you can help me with finding a suitable water pump.

Thank you.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I use that same model as a circulation pump in my 90 gallon and I believe it will be more than enough for your needs.

I have a question though, why do you have a tank with just 100 balls?


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## mari.mo (Feb 26, 2013)

pyrrolin said:


> I use that same model as a circulation pump in my 90 gallon and I believe it will be more than enough for your needs.
> 
> I have a question though, why do you have a tank with just 100 balls?


Thanks for the reply! I guess I shall go pick one up tomorrow..

I have had moss balls for a while now, and I want to figure out how to propagate them. I can't find any information online. I know it can be done, because there are companies that sell them in the bucketloads! The only information I can find is to tare them up into pieces and hope they grow. So, I tore up a few of my big marimo into small ones and have about 100 small ones. I have them all tied in a circle with string.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I read an article that discussed a way to grow them in that round ball shape. Take one ball apart, into small pieces, to make as many small balls as you have moss for, from a half to one inch or so in size. Roll up gently into as round a shape as you can. 

Then you need the right type of container, a light and air pump. Lighting should be on about 8 hours or so daily. The container is most important. It should have a very rounded bottom, and the taller the better. Then you need an air stone which should be kept right at the bottom of the container. Weigh it down if need be, if it floats up it won't work very well. 

You want to create a strong up and over current in the water in the container, and a taller container is going to work better than a short one, but the round bottom is the most important feature. Use fertilizer, the amount needs to be adjusted for the amount of water in the container. If you use Excel, be very careful, because too much Excel will kill algae. Marimo balls are not a true moss, but are a type of algae, so feeding should help speed up growth. Just not so much you get algae going nuts everywhere.

As the water is circulated up and around, sort of like a ferris wheel, it will roll the little balls over and over as they grow. The constant turnover is what gives them them that nice round shape. It actually mimics how they develop in nature.. where they are constantly washed up and roll back on a sort of curved bottom section of a lake near the shore.

You can also cut some up, almost into paste, then use very, very fine netting to keep a layer of that on a flat pebble or rock. It will grow attached to the rock, but it's very, very slow to do this. Use a very thin layer. For some time it will be barely a green fuzz, but with time it will get taller and become a low mound shaped like the pebble was.

I've been wanting to try the round bottom method myself. A large vase with a rounded bottom in it would do the trick, or a narrow, round bottom bowl of some type. Maybe turn one of those round bottom candle holders upside down and use something to hold it upright. Just rolling the balls on a flat substrate is probably not going to give you the round ball shape that is so popular, though you can always try it. 

I'd think you would get sort of cigar type shapes, with that method, but it would be interesting to see how it turned out.


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## mari.mo (Feb 26, 2013)

Thanks for the response, Fishfur.

Here is a picture of my moss balls that I recently split from bigger ones and tied up. (Excuse the bad pic, taken with a BB)










I think for now I will try to just have them constantly moving in a 30 gallon tank. I don't mind rolling them around a few times a week in my hand, especially since I will have to, to keep the dirt out of them.

I did find a interesting Japanese website that talks a bit about farming Marimo, but it is not very descriptive. I wonder why it is so hard to find propagating information on them when they are so popular.


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

very interesting


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I have a small glass container that would be great for this. Any chance you'd let me have a couple of the little balls to try out with the round bottom technique ? It used to be a candle holder but the stand broke.. but I could prop it up easily enough and it's deep enough to allow for an air stone. 
Let me know if you're interested in giving it a try. Keeping them tied should certainly help maintain a round shape.. good idea.


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