Moss Ball, Can I Make It Into A Moss Carpet?

[kevthefish]

Hi everyone.

I bought a moss ball today from my LFS because i've been eyeing them up now for a while and finaly my LFS had them in stock, so i bought one.

I just wanted to know, can i split it and maybe make it into a moss carpet. A bit like what you would do with java moss or riccia?

Thanks.

 

[Ian H]

I'm sure i heard of people doing it, but dont moss balls float to the top if they aint getting enough light? so that would mean the whole carpet would float wouldnt it!?

 

[Esfa]

floating carpet?

now where have I heard of that, before?

 

[kevthefish]

I'm sure i heard of people doing it, but dont moss balls float to the top if they aint getting enough light? so that would mean the whole carpet would float wouldnt it!?

Maybe if i tied them to some slate, they wouldn't be able to float, surely??

 

[iSnail]

As far as I know, they float when there is very strong light but you can tie it down onto slate

 

[aaronnorth]

they float when there is strong light but mine didnt when i had them under 2.5wpg, co2 and daily dosing of TPN+!

 

[kevthefish]

they float when there is strong light but mine didnt when i had them under 2.5wpg, co2 and daily dosing of TPN+!

When i got my from my LFS it was floating, and even when i got it home it still floated after a few hours.
Think i might have to thread it with a needle and fishing wire, and tie a weight to the bottom, to keep it from floating.

 

[iSnail]

Some times air get trapped inside the moss balls (water squeezed out a bit for posting) and they float. Just squeeze them under water to expel the trapped air and they'll sink.

 

[aaronnorth]

they do to start off with but they have air in them, i just squeezed mine then they sank,

 

[geo7x]

You can shape moss balls a little bit but might be difficult to flatten them into a carpet. Although mine have never floated they don't like staying still so would need to be tied down.

I heard that if you tear/flatten moss balls then they can release spores and soon they'll be everywhere, can anyone confirm this?

 

[aaronnorth]

you split them in half so they dont roll away

 

[tangokitty]

I too have heard that they can reproduce like crazy! I just recently split one into 4 pieces as it seemed it was falling apart anyway. I also have heard as peopel using it as carpet in nano tanks.

 

[frozenbarb]

They are algae so they will ball up anyways.
and look ugly.

Make a carpet with moss not algae

 

[Honeythorn]

If you spilt it into lots of smaller balls ( just shape them ) you could tie those to slate to produce a surreal lumpy carpet of many mossballs all tied down together? It seems easier than trying to tear it all apart and flatten it.

 

[~T~]

I use the green nets you get round punnets of fruit and tie them to a rock, stops them floating about and/or falling apart. Seems to be working so far.