Marimo

Not the greatest picture, but I tried...


I got this little guy almost 2 weeks ago. It is about the size of half of my fist. It is called “marimo” (literally "ball seaweed") in Japan, and is also known as "lake ball" or “moss ball” (though it is NOT moss, it is a form of algae). Its scientific name is Aegagropila linnaei. 3 years ago, I bought one when I happened across one in San Francisco. It was the first time I had seen marimo before, and I was really happy to have gotten one, even if it was the size of the tip of my pinky finger. However, I did not know how to properly care for it. Because marimo usually live at the bottom of lakes, direct sunlight is not good for them. They will get sunburned and die. I did not know this at the time, and ended up killing my marimo :(  I will NOT make the same mistake this time. I have been very careful, making sure not to place it in direct sunlight. I have also been monitoring the clarity and temperature of the water. Apparently, marimo can have a “fridge spa” (placed in the refrigerator 24-48 hours) once a month to boost its growth. Anyway, I hope that I won't kill it this time. Proper care practices are very simple, but it's a little hard to tell whether it is healthy or not at this point.


Interesting fact: Marimo only grow ~5 mm a year.