It’s round, soft, spongy and it lives underwater, it’s….. not Spongebob – cause he’s square. It is a cute little plant procured from Lake Akan in Hokkaido, Japan. It was mesmerized on the first sight of this cute furry ball of fun! Marimo; literally translated to seaweed ball, is a type of algae which grows in clusters and has a velvety appearance. Japanese folklore has said that Marimo was thought to bring love and happiness to the owners.
The folklore passed from generations to generations and Marimo became symbols of overcoming adversities in harsh environment to fulfill their wishes and finding true love and happiness. Love-struck youths would often wish their love upon Marimo and delivered them to their loved ones. Under tender care and attention, Marimo will grow and flourish each day as well as making the wishes of love come true to the gifted.
Care for your Marimo:
Raising your Marimo – Make sure your Marimo is bathed in freshed water and light daily. This allows for photosynthesis which allows the Marimo to make starch from chloroplast and subsequently grow! Eaasy!
How well does your Marimo like light – Any artificial light source or indirect sunlight is sufficient. Do avoid direct sunlight however.
Fresh water, how fresh is my tap water? – Tap water’s fine, Marimos aren’t that picky. But temperature control is vital – keep it below 25deg C and you’ll be fine. If it’s the sunny season, you could pop your baby Marimo into the fridge once a week to keep it cool and breezy!
Any baby food required for my Marimo? – None!
How well does a Marimo swim? And is it goldfish friendly? – It doesn’t swim, but it will live together with other fishes. Do keep your fishes well fed, or risk your Marimo being eaten!
Green Marimo, yellow Marimo, brown Marimo?! – Green good, yellow dirty, brown no good! Gently rub a yellow marimo and it should rid it of all the dirt. A blackish brown Marimo is a dead Marimo and you’ve been a bad parent!
Marimos can die?! - Yes it can and it will if you neglect it. However, if you press it lightly with your fingers and its elasticity remains, it may revive. Wash it well. Take care of it like a pet. Talk to it. It will happily grow.
How big can a Marimo grow? - It will grow around 5mm each year if you take good care of it. a 3cm diameter Marimo will usually take about 20 years to grow into its full size.
Why does a Marimo sometimes float to the surface of the water? – The oxygen produced in photosynthesis becomes air bubbles, and gathers between cells, or adheres to the surface, and has made Marimo float to the surface of water. It is a normal playful behavior of the Marimo.
Will my Marimo make more Marimos? – Oh yes it will. Don’t intentionally split your Marimo into pieces hoping it will live! A Marimo will reproduce by growing an additional small extension from its own spherical shape and eventually, it will separate from the original Marimo. When this process happens, your Marimo has given birth to a baby!
What will help the growth of a Marimo? - Both coral and natural crystal are recommended. Although coral is classified into an animal, it purifies water by porosity, it is very good for growth of aquatic life animals and plants. Natural crystals serves the same function.
Now then after the crash course of growing and caring for a Marimo, you’re now ready to have your first Marimo!
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