Problem With Moss Balls

[fuzzynicki]

I've just bought 5 moss balls to go in with some new cherry shrimp. Two of the moss balls absorbed water quickly and sank. A third ball I spent a while squeezing water into and finally that sank. The remaining two balls are saturated but refusing to sink. They are also very brown looking in places. They are floating at the top of the water and are covered in what appears to be a hundreds of minute brown flies. No idea what they are. Should I just remove the balls and bin them, and does anyone know what these flies are?

Thanks!

 

[hanny93]

I'd suggest taking them out and putting them in a closed container like tupperware or something filled with water, that way they'll still sink if they ever will, but you wont be putting the tank in danger with those weird fly things.

contact the seller and ask for a refund if you dont want to be messing around with tupperware full of moss balls

 

[fuzzynicki]

Thank you! I've contacted the seller. I bought them on e-bay. I'll see what she says

 

[hanny93]

Usually sellers on ebay are quite good for plants etc, who did you buy them off?

 

[fuzzynicki]

Usually sellers on ebay are quite good for plants etc, who did you buy them off?

The seller got back to me and told me to take the brown balls out and rinse them in clean water. I took them out and saw that they aren't brown all over and so not dead. I rinsed them several times and then they finally sank!

The seller said the flies are like fruit flies. Hopefully they'll go now that the moss balls have sunk!