Is this the Japanese Marimo Moss?

[skyrex]

I just bought this 5balls from a Lfs. It's seems different from what I used to have and what I Googled. Have I been sold fake knockoffs?

[Urban Aquaria]

I guess you bought those "Secret Shrimp Society" ones that are packed in small white packs? Those could be considered "marimo balls" too, just that they are man-made hand-rolled versions (you can see the filaments look like rolled). Its quite common for some sellers to rip apart larger ones and roll them into smaller ones.

Naturally grown marimo balls have a fuzzy type look, where all the filaments point outwards in a radial pattern.

Check out this article for some comparisons: https://www.mossball.com/content/beg...ke-marimo.html

If you have an opportunity to find the larger naturally grown marimo balls at LFS, you can see the differences quite easily.

[skyrex]

I guess you bought those "Secret Shrimp Society" ones that are packed in small white packs? Those could be considered "marimo balls" too, just that they are man-made hand-rolled versions (you can see the filaments look like rolled). Its quite common for some sellers to rip apart larger ones and roll them into smaller ones.

Naturally grown marimo balls have a fuzzy type look, where all the filaments point outwards in a radial pattern.

Check out this article for some comparisons: https://www.mossball.com/content/beg...ke-marimo.html

If you have an opportunity to find the larger naturally grown marimo balls at LFS, you can see the differences quite easily.

Ohhhh. No wonder the ones I use to have look like hairy balls but these looks like cabbages up close Hahaha.

But they will naturally grow to look like it's natural form right?

[Urban Aquaria]

Ohhhh. No wonder the ones I use to have look like hairy balls but these looks like cabbages up close Hahaha.

But they will naturally grow to look like it's natural form right?

I guess if they were kept in a setup that mimics their natural environment, with abit of gentle current to tumble them around, they could eventually grow and look more like naturally grown marimo balls.

Based on their super slow growth rate, it'll probably take many years though, or even decades.