Moss Balls

[bluesfan]

Thinking of adding some moss balls to my tropical tank, what are the benefits+ pitfalls if any

 

[techen]

All live plants are good for tanks, Throw a few in there fairly easy to keep. Shrimp love them.

 

[Livewire88]

They are actually balls of Algae, and as techen said shrimp love them 

 

[Welshweeks]

Def not pitfalls imo!

 

[pirategrl]

I got one and the fish pick at it.  I have only had it a month and it's already splitting.  I can't think of any pitfalls.  They look pretty neat.

 

[CezzaXV]

Make sure you get them on eBay and not your LFS. I got five on eBay for less than the price of one from my LFS!

 

[CoryLover95]

If you like the way they look, I'd get them.  I'm not sure if your petstore told you the same thing, but my LFS told me that the moss balls eat the algae and you have to squeeze them every day to let the algae out of them.  Well, I did some research and it turns out that they happen to eat the same thing as algae, which can sometimes reduce the algae population if you have a small tank.
So the short story is that I think moss balls can't do any harm, but don't be trapped into thinking that they'll clean your tank for you.  Good luck!
-CL95

 

[akfox18]

I like the moss balls in my tank. I agree with cezzaXV. Buy them from eBay, so much cheaper.

 

[Joshwainwright]

They look great, they're good for your fish and they're easy to grow.
 
The only bad thing is they can get a bit messy if little bits break off... the stuff gets everywhere!

 

[frapadoodle]

They seem to be popular for use in fry tanks as well.

 

[RCA]

I like mine, just turn them now and again to ensure they stay round, I do this at WC time.  I also take them out and squeeze them a bit in the old tank water.
Yesterday I actually picked one up made by Fluval, which is also supposed to remove phosphate.  Not tried it yet, but it is for a tank with not a lot of light, although I do like the real ones.  My next lot I am getting from e-bay as the LFS charged me a fortune for the last lot!

 

[Joshwainwright]

My next lot I am getting from e-bay as the LFS charged me a fortune for the last lot!

I check eBay for everything before I buy stuff! Apart from fish, obviously...