Skip to main content

My Marimo Garden


 Several years ago a friend in New York introduced an interesting aquatic plant to me that has since become a hobby of mine. "Marimos" are a green seaweed made from algae but they appear mossy in texture. These fluffy green plants use photosynthesis to grow, needing minimal light but also growing very slowly. The marimos in my tank are all from different locations; New York, Russia, China, Japan, and more. In the past few months I have been doing lots of research on how to best care for
these plants. I have put together a list of all the information and optimal care instructions.

 I set up a simple but cool looking tank with an LED light air stone and glow in the dark aquarium plant. Multi colored stones cover the bottom of a large blue glass vase. I keep it shaded with my potted plants covering most of the sunlight. My baby marimos began to connect to each other like a chain and even to my fluval tank cleaning moss ball (which is a fake marimo). I use ice to keep it cold and fashioned a lid to keep the bubbles from getting out. I also have a thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature of the water.

 MARIMO CARE

  • Have shady spots, minimal light (no direct light). Do NOT leave the tank light on too much because it can start the growth of hostile algae (which is a nightmare). Sea salt in the water is a natural way to get rid of the hostile algae.
  • Clean water once a week in summer, once every two in winter, only change HALF the water.
  • Roll marimo by hand and move around tank. But be gentle with them. 
  • Once a month put marimos in fridge for 24-48 hours in a separate container with fresh water. Change fridge water more frequently.
  • Add sea salt to water in tank. Use club soda to naturally create Co2 to boost growth; but NOT TOO MUCH. Do not put the club soda into the tank, treat them in a separate bowl.
  • °59-°68 degrees is ideal, must not exceed °86 degrees.
  • To keep the tank cool I use reusable plastic ice cubes, regular ice cubes and flat ice packs.
  • Always use stones in tank, not rocks - rocks absorb impurities and can't fully be washed away. I recommend using a "Fluval Moss Ball" which cleans the tank by adsorbing and trapping phosphate and nitrite. I found it to be effective, it only lasts a few months though. 
  • If a piece breaks off leave it be, roll it up in a ball and add it to the small marimo collection.
  • When using chemicals to purify water put marimos in separate containers.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The album art of Tommy by Mike McInnerney

 People often ask me what my favorite album is. Without much thought I am able to answer them. The Who's 1969 album "Tommy" is my favorite record of all time. The album artwork also happens to be my favorite. Recently I was thinking about the album and how it affected me in my life. I decided to look up the Tommy album art and was surprised that I was unable to find any of it. I could find the cover, but never all the album art inside. The Tommy CD comes with a booklet with lyrics and a series of different illustrations. But they weren't on the internet.   So this blog will be changing that! I just took out my CD booklet and scanned all the artwork. There are two versions of the cover, one featuring small images of their faces inserted into the gaps in the central sphere. The other is just the original work. Executives at The Who's record label insisted on having the band members pictured on the cover, so that's why there are two covers. Pete Tow...
1 comment
Read more

[REVISED] Eddie Vedder's voice, the most emulated voice in music history?

  Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder has one of the most distinct and emulated voices in contemporary rock music. I feel like I spent the entire 90's hearing alternative bands copying Eddie's singing style. Just to show you how many artists have been said to sound like Eddie Vedder throughout time; Creed's Scott Stapp, Fuel's Brett Scallions, The Stone Temple Pilot's Scott Weiland, The Calling's Alex Band, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Lifehouse's Jason Wade, and some say Nickelback's Chad Kroeger have a similar sounding voice (don't shoot the messenger). And probably more than I can remember.  When I continued to look into this stream of vocals that sounded the same, I came upon a quite obvious realization. Whether they know it or not, they are actually emulating Jim Morrison. It also makes sense that Eddie later played with the remaining Doors members and inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This singing style wasn't just ho...
1 comment
Read more

The Duck Walk

 In honor of Angus Young's birthday today I've posted a little bit about his famous stage moves which he channeled from Chuck Berry. Angus, of course had his own more erratic spin on the dance move and made it his own. Check out the difference... "A one-legged hop routine, and the "duck walk", which he first used as a child when he walked "stooping with full-bended knees, but with my back and head vertical" under a table to retrieve a ball and his family found it entertaining; he used it when "performing in New York for the first time and some journalist branded it the duck walk." I love this guy's "Duck walk tutorial". "Just follow these easy steps...literally."
Post a Comment
Read more