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Plants / Mosses
Marimo moss ball
Mosses · Tough

Marimo moss ball

Aegagropila linnaei

Not a moss but a ball of green algae. In Lake Akan, Japan, giant marimo grow a few millimetres a year with annual rings, taking about 17 years to grow from 3 to 25 cm; they are a protected Special Natural Monument.

Needs

Care levelEasy
LightLow
CO₂Not needed
GrowthSlow
HeightUp to 10 cm
Temperature15–24 °C
WhereFront of the tank
Feeds throughLeaves, from the water
FamilyPithophoraceae (order Cladophorales, green algae)
Native toWidespread in cool lakes of the northern hemisphere (Europe, Japan, Iceland and others), with records from Turkey, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand; giant balls now survive mainly in Lake Akan, Japan
Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. See sources

How to keep it

  • Low light, cool water (optimum about 15-24 °C)
  • Turn it regularly to keep it round
  • Warm water: optimum tops out about 24 °C and tolerance about 28 °C

Sources

15 facts checked with sources

  • Scientific nameFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo) · Yamamoto et al. 2021, The structure and formation of giant Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan, Japan, Scientific Reports
  • FamilycorrectedFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • Native rangecorrectedFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo) · Yamamoto et al. 2021, The structure and formation of giant Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan, Japan, Scientific Reports · Tropica: Aegagropila linnaei
  • Plant typecorrectedFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo) · Tropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Yamamoto et al. 2021, The structure and formation of giant Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan, Japan, Scientific Reports
  • LightTropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Flowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • CO₂Tropica: Aegagropila linnaei
  • GrowthTropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Flowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • Care levelTropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Flowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • HeightcorrectedTropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Flowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • TemperaturecorrectedFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • Where to plantFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • Water or land plantcorrectedFlowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • AboutcorrectedTropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Yamamoto et al. 2021, The structure and formation of giant Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei) in Lake Akan, Japan, Scientific Reports
  • Care tipsTropica: Aegagropila linnaei · Flowgrow plant database: Aegagropila linnaei (Marimo)
  • LawscorrectedU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (2024): Zebra mussels aren't "mossing" around

Good with

Animals that leave it alone

Fancy goldfishCarassius auratus
Easy20 cm10–24 °C
Cherry shrimpNeocaridina davidi
Easy3 cm18–28 °C
White cloud mountain minnowTanichthys albonubes
Easy4 cm14–22 °C