How does a Marino moss ball grow?

[Skrabbitskrabbit]

Sorry, typo in thread title
Can you make a Marimo moss ball grow? How does it grow?
A while ago I saw the video on how to propagate them and decided to try it on mine (only had 1..) but since then, all I have is two torn looking half circles that never really grew back into ball shape or ever grew at all really. So do they grow? Mine is in a 10gallon with a betta and nerite and I have 3 other types of plants that are all growing.

 

[BigManAquatics]

Very slowly they grow.

 

[MyFishAddiction]

Well, Marimos grow pretty slow.. I read once that it took about 15 years to grow to 11 inches.

 

[awilkinson871]

They grow very slowly and you are suppose to rotate them so they grow evenly.

 

[Skrabbitskrabbit]

They grow very slowly and you are suppose to rotate them so they grow evenly.

Okay this makes sense since I never put the haggard looking side facing up. Will try.

Side thought- I wonder if a root tab or some fertilizer inserted in it would be a good or bad idea...

 

[Madchild57]

Okay this makes sense since I never put the haggard looking side facing up. Will try.

Side thought- I wonder if a root tab or some fertilizer inserted in it would be a good or bad idea...

probably a liquid fert, I wouldn't trust an entire root tab to not just spray into the water and cause an algal bloom.

 

[awilkinson871]

Since moss doesn't really have roots it feeds directly from the water column so a root tab isn't necessary.

 

[Fisch]

I have seen a little clip where you take them out, and roll them into ball shape.
Not perfect but better than having haggard pieces floating around.