Marimo, the Japanese Moss Ball

Cladophora ball "Aegagropila linnae"

A marimo ball is a rare growth form of algae, which grows into large green balls with a soft, velvety appearance.they are native to japan where they naturally grow at Lake Akan. They are also found in Iceland ,Estonia and scotland. They can grow patches on a lake floor at depths from 2 to 2.5 m. The round shape of the marimo is maintained by wave action that turns it.

In Japan the marimo has said to be a national treasure.

They where named by the Japanese botanist "Tatsuhiko Kawakami". Mari means bouncy ball and Mo is a term for plants that grow in water. So , marimo means bouncy plant.People often mistake them for living animals because they are usually moving around in the tank.

how to grow marimo balls?

Your marimo friends will grow in tap water at room temperature as long as the water is changed every one or two weeks.

The growth rate of Marimo is about 5 mm per year.they grow particularly large, up to 20–30 cm (8–12 inches).

All they need is normal household lighting for them to make food, otherwise, indirect sunlight is fine.
You should turn them over once in a while for them to keep their round shape.
Marimo's are actually VERY easy to take care of, probably one of the easiest plants that live in water.
you just have to change the water once a week and your done!" make sure NOT to have age killer in the water!!!!"

1* They  do not float unless the water is squeezed out of them.
2* They are NOT moss, they are a very unique type of ALGAE.
3* They DO NOT DIE  when frozen.

lighting

Unlike the idea that they need little light,  they do best with lamp light especially if you have smaller, rolled marimo.

if so, they will start to grow outward like they do naturally and look very fuzzy.
They do still grow with little light but if you want fuzzy, healthy ones they need light.

Health problems

If your marimo turns grey then simply flip it over and make sure the grey area gets light.
If that doesn't not work then you can get a bowl, add water, ice and salt, let them soak in that for about 3 hours .

they are a VERY easy plant ( ALGAE) to take care of and are nice for people that want a plant but don't have the time to take  care of it.

They are also a helpfull addition to to fish tanks, thus they act like miniature filters cleaning out the water.
                                                                                                  --taken from http://www.instructables.com

Promotion Packages:

Grand Combo : 2 Giant Marimo, 2 Nano Marimo.

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Mix Combo : 1 Giant Marimo, 1 Nano Marimo.

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Twin Giant: 2 Giant Marimo

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Twin Nano: 2 Nano Marimo

Twin Nano

Let this little lovely green moss ball enlighten your day with happiness and luck!
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Marimos are literally ball seaweed, type of algae which originated in the lake beds in the northen hemispehere especially Akan Lake in Hokkaido, Japan.

The name of marimo was first used by a botanist from Japan named Tatsuhiko Kawakami in the year of 1898.

In Japanese, mari- means the ball while -mo means the algae. These interesting little balls are not really a plant but an algae.

It relied on the movement of waves to move them around to form them into a perfect spheres. They roll back and forth to filtering or capture the nutrients from their surrounding.

They float up during the day and sink down at night due to the action of photosynthesis.

The Japanese government have actually denominated marimo as a special national treasure and given them legal protection from harvesting as it is deemed a Japanese Natural Treasure for its uniqueness and contribution to biodiversity.

The Japanese have had them in their living space for a long time and refer to them as pets and good luck charms.

They can be served as a unique and special gift especially when you run out of idea to give something to your loved one. Besides, it can be decorative to the aquarium and fish tank.

Nano Marimo, diameter 1cm - 1.5cm

Giant Marimo, diameter 4cm - 4.5cm

Marimo in aquarium, image taken from http://1.bp.blogspot.com

Marimo for decoration, image taken from wedesignflora.com

Marimo balls are easy to look after because they don’t eat or need special lighting to grow, writes Aneeta Sundararaj

YOU want the presents you give and receive to have meaning, be something valuable and environmentally-friendly. Yet, nothing seems to fit the bill.

Well, there are marimo balls, a species of green algae with a velvety texture. Nigel Koo, who imports it from Japan, says its botanical name is Aegagropila linnaaei. These are spherical in shape, with no roots or leaves. He holds one out and says: “Look. It’s just like a ball of moss.”

In the 19th Century, Japanese botanist Tatsuhiko Kawakami came up with the name marimo (‘mari’ is a shortened version of temari meaning handball and ‘mo’ is a generic term for aquatic plants).

The name is also inspired by the way the algae balls move in the waters of Japan’s Lake Akan. They sometimes bounce off the many layers of algae that grow at the bottom of the lake.

Marimo balls are also found in Estonia, Iceland and Scotland but it was the Japanese who made marimo balls their national treasure and popularised them. Indeed, says Koo, marimo balls play an important part in the lives of the Ainu (indigenous people of Hokkaido).

Every October, the Ainu holds a Marimo Matsuri (Spherical Algae Festival) which lasts three days. It is both a celebration of and a thanksgiving to Mother Nature for her bounty and blessings.

LOVE EVERLASTING
He adds: “One woman was looking for love for years. When I met her a month after she bought marimo balls, she told me she was getting married.”
Koo insists that marimo balls make the perfect ‘pet’.

SPECIALLY DESIGNED BOTTLES
Koo hopes to expand his business to include selling marimo balls all over the country and abroad.

There is a fairytale behind marimo balls. About 100 years ago, on the island of Hokkaido, there lived a young girl whose father was the head of a village near Lake Akan. The girl’s marriage had been arranged but unfortunately, she fell in love with a commoner and they ran away together. When the lovers reached Lake Akan, they jumped in. They then metamorphosed into little marimo balls and lived happily ever after.

Koo balks at the suggestion that it is mere coincidence that marimo balls bring luck, love and happiness. He says there had been customers who won the lottery after buying marimo balls.

Don’t, for a minute, think that owning a marimo ball is a short-term investment of your time, money and love. They don’t grow fast. In fact, a marimo ball increases in diameter by a mere 0.5cm a year.

Koo has so many in his own collection that he has labelled them according to size: Nano consists of marimo balls that are no more than 1.5cm in diameter, followed by Junior (2-3cm), Giant (4-5cm) and finally, Jumbo (6-7cm). Marimo balls cost between RM25 and RM120 each.

He says: “They are very easy to keep. Since they are algae, not plants, you cannot give them fertiliser or they’ll die. They don’t need special lighting to grow and they don’t even eat. They just move around in the tank and are perfect for those who have no time to look after a pet.”

His interest in marimo balls is relatively recent. He first came across them on the Internet in June. Curious, he bought a few online and when they arrived, he was fascinated. Recognising their potential, the 36-year-old former principal and lecturer at a private design college, started a full-time business selling marimo balls.

With a following on Facebook (www.facebook.com/marimoclub) that has reached nearly 1,000 people, his initial investment of RM20,000 is already seeing a profit.

“Recently, I supplied a couple with marimo balls as wedding favours for their guests,” says Koo.

What makes his products special is that he personalises the bottles used for keeping the marimo balls. For the recent Christmas season, he created a series of festive bottles for marimo balls of various sizes such as Jingle Bell (small bottles with coloured bells — green, red, blue, purple and pink — attached) and Christmas Bell (bottles with a golden bell attached).

You can also get Love Bottle which has “blessings of love” inside, Korean Bottle with Korean verses embossed on the outside and Sea Tree Bottle with a miniature tree inside.

--taken from New Strait Time

Reporting The Most Recent Research Findings

The Lake's Jewels - Marimo

Almost a century has passed since Tetsuya Kawakami of the Sapporo Agricultural School(now 
Hokkaido University) first discovered marimo in Lake Akan. 

Though Lake Akan is most noted for marimo, they also live in Lakes Shirarutoro and 
Toro near Kushiro's famous wetland area known as Kushiro Shitsugen National Park. Marimo also inhabit Lakes Kawaguchi and Sai, two of The Five Lakes of Mt. Fuji. Lake Akan, however, 
is the only lake which offers superb samples of velvety round marimo which occasionally 
reach diameters of between 20 and 30 centimeters. 

These beautiful, unique living creatures have been described as jewels of the lake. 

In 1921 marimo were designated as a Japanese Natural Treasure and, in 1952, they were 
further elevated in esteem through designation as a Special Japanese Natural Treasure.

Spherical marimo were first discovered in 1824 by physician and botanist Dr. Anton E. Sauter. 

His report on spherical marimo in Lake Zeller (Zeller See), Austria attracted the attention of 
many botanists. Marimo were subsequently found to exist in the United Kingdom, Russia, and 
Sweden as well as other countries.

The marimo's scientific name is Cladophora aegagropila and they belong to the Cladophora 
sauteri or Cladophora aegagropila family. Cladophora means branched plant. And, as he was 
the first to discover the marimo, sauteri is a derivative of Dr. Sauter's name.

Lake Akan has become the only lake in the world today where large round marimo can still be 
observed. We welcome your interest in marimo and through these pages invite you to discover 
how we humans have affected the marimo's way of life and how the marimo has, in turn, 
affected our lives.

--taken from marimo web

Marimo in the Market

In scientific Aegagropila linnaei, known as Marimo (毬藻?, literally "ball seaweed") in Japanese and as
Cladophora ball, Lake ball, Algae ball or Moss Balls in English, is a species of filamentous green algae
(Chlorophyta) found in a number of lakes in the northern hemisphere.

A marimo is a rare growth form of the species where the algae grow into large green balls with a velvety appearance. Colonies of such balls are only known to form in Iceland, Scotland, Japan and Estonia.

Marimo very popular as it give the uniqueness when it is used a housing interior decoration, 

offices and even in the fish aquarium. 

Nano marimo can be served as a special gift to family, lover and friends as it is a easiest living thing to be taken care of. 

It do not need food or special ways to be taken care. All you need to do is just change the water once in a while and leave it indoor where mild light is exist. 

It exist in variety of sizes, eg. Nano marimo with diameter range from 1cm to 1.5cm, Giant marimo with diameter range from 3.5cm to 4cm and Super Giant marimo with diameter of 5cm to 6cm.