# Moss Ball Planting?



## PygoNatts

I searched and searched around town and visited 6 local fish shop within a 25 mile radias, only thing I came across for something that looks nice to be planted in my piranha tank was called "Cladophora aegagropila", the shop labeled it as "Moss Ball". The price for it was $1.99 for each ball. Now my question is, Can I take a knife and splice into this "Moss Ball" and place it on driftwoods and do a spiral wrap with very thin fish line?

My concerns.

*Regarding this "Moss Ball", Will the "Moss Ball" die if I splice it with a knife?*
Or do the "Moss Ball" just sits in the tank and grow itself out. I just want to find a cheaper alternative to put moss on my driftwood so it could grow.

I bought four balls and have it in a seperate tank with no fish in it, just to see how it's doing. I could of swore it moved to the light that I turned on.

Inputs welcome.









Here's how it looks like. It's basically a Moss in a ball form.


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## BlackSunshine

I highly reccomend you remove the Mossball. I had one. and am suspect that it is the cause of my hair algae outbreak. As Mossballs are infact hair algae that has grown into a ball shape.

----------------------------------------------------- 
Quoted from -Aquatic Plant Central

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumap...=view&id=15
Cladophora

Cladophora - Details and Treatment
Latin Name:	Cladophora
Common Name(s):	Cladophora
Algae Description:	Green, branched algae that forms wool-like mats when conditions permit. Particularly a problem when thorough removal isn't an option, such as in hairgrass fields. This algae adheres to hardscape in the aquarium, including (to great dismay) substrate, again making removal a challenge. More than one hobbyist has indicated that Marimo Balls (Cladophora aegagropila, Cladophora linnaei) have yielded general Clado problems.
How to Treat:	High dosages of Seachem Excel (daily "starter" levels) will weaken the algae, turn it lighter in color, and will lessen its grip on hardscape. Spot treatments very effective as well. Problems remain, however, when the hobbyist is unable to remove all pieces of the infesting algae. Hairgrass can be made somewhat clean with a comb. Burying the "Clado" with more substrate does not eliminate the problem. One can have thriving Clado and no other types of algae because it seems to favor the same conditions as desireable, higher-order aquarium plants.

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Hair alage is a bitch to deal with. There are few fish or algae eaters that will mess with hair algae. And it can quickly destroy a tank.

If you must keep it consider that cutting it can very much so contribute to its spreading rampantly thru your tank. Mine was fine untill the ball got damaged by a flowerhorn. Then the outbreak spread. 
Yes you can cut it in half there is no core to the thing its litterally a clump of hair alage. But then there is no gaurentee that it will shape back up to a ball.


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## PygoNatts

BlackSunshine said:


> I highly reccomend you remove the Mossball. I had one. and am suspect that it is the cause of my hair algae outbreak. As Mossballs are infact hair algae that has grown into a ball shape.
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------
> Quoted from -Aquatic Plant Central
> 
> http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumap...=view&id=15
> Cladophora
> 
> Cladophora - Details and Treatment
> Latin Name:	Cladophora
> Common Name(s):	Cladophora
> Algae Description:	Green, branched algae that forms wool-like mats when conditions permit. Particularly a problem when thorough removal isn't an option, such as in hairgrass fields. This algae adheres to hardscape in the aquarium, including (to great dismay) substrate, again making removal a challenge. More than one hobbyist has indicated that Marimo Balls (Cladophora aegagropila, Cladophora linnaei) have yielded general Clado problems.
> How to Treat:	High dosages of Seachem Excel (daily "starter" levels) will weaken the algae, turn it lighter in color, and will lessen its grip on hardscape. Spot treatments very effective as well. Problems remain, however, when the hobbyist is unable to remove all pieces of the infesting algae. Hairgrass can be made somewhat clean with a comb. Burying the "Clado" with more substrate does not eliminate the problem. One can have thriving Clado and no other types of algae because it seems to favor the same conditions as desireable, higher-order aquarium plants.
> 
> --------------------------------------------
> 
> Hair alage is a bitch to deal with. There are few fish or algae eaters that will mess with hair algae. And it can quickly destroy a tank.


Oh wow, great information. The 4 moss ball is byself in a empty tank. No fish are getting harm. I just wanted to experiment with it and see what it's purpose is. Looking for moss around town to plant on my driftwood is a B****.. lol

So I take it, if you splice into it, it's dead? Just had to ask.


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## BlackSunshine

no not at all. splicing it is opening it to grow rampant. like i said thers no central "core" so each strand that makes it up has the potential to take off. It is the king of al algaes.


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