# Marimo betrayed me



## Lemmie (Sep 24, 2007)

Hi All,
I bought a set of cute little marimo balls at least two years ago thinking they out-compete less desirable algae. 
I've been in an escalating battle with cladophora for about a year and a half. Recently, its gotten out of hand. So I finally do my homework and find out my marimos may have been the culprits this whole time!

Does anyone know if there are conditions that would keep my marimo from spitting cladophora everywhere? I really would like to keep them. HOWEVER, they haven't grown in diameter AT ALL, and I take out a softball sized clump of cladophora every month (too bad I can't roll it into a marimo...I have tried!). Should I just give up and take them out? Tank is pretty clean otherwise. Any advice would be appreciated!


----------



## KraKen (Jul 17, 2008)

It's unlikely that the marimo balls are to blame for your troubles. While they are a form of cladophora it's not the same kind as the nuisance algae, the strands are thiner and it grows much more slowly. As far as I know there's no way to eliminate cladophora because no matter how much you take out tiny pieces remain which then grow to be enormous. I've been fighting the stuff for about a year and I've found that the best way it to keep the conditions of the tank right for plants and remove whatever pieces of algae you can see.


----------



## neilshieh (Jun 24, 2010)

hmmm i just realized that i had a small clump of whatever algae you said growing on my christmas moss wall...o well i already tore down that tank. there's one thing i can say it's not the marimo balls, mines have never given me any trouble and they've grown an inch in one year, i dose the usual flora pride (water soluble iron) and an occasional planttab... grow fast plants like wisteria or camboba they'll hopefully compete with the algae.


----------



## Lemmie (Sep 24, 2007)

Thanks for the advice! Its good to know I can keep them. I have a ton of easy plants doing well, so I guess I just need to keep on top of picking off the cladophora.


----------

