What type of substrates should be used?

​When decorating a Marimo terrarium, substrate is one of the crucial part to further improves the overall attractiveness and appeal of the terrarium. However,what kind of substrates should we use?

River Sand/Gravel

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River sands or gravels come in various shapes, colours and sizes, therefore it can suit with most  terrariums' designs. River sands or gravels can be collected easily and usually won't come with harmful chemicals if collected from clean rivers. However, proper cleaning must be done for any substrates collected from the nature due to the risk of introducing harmful diseases or parasites to your aquarium or terrarium. Cleaning can be done by rinsing those sands or gravels with salt water and washing them a few times, it is advisable to immerse them in clean water for a few days before introducing them into the aquarium or terrarium. Even with proper cleaning, there are still risks of introducing unwanted parasites or diseases into the aquarium or terrarium.
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Sand from beaches

​Clean, fine sand from the beaches is very attractive in both aquariums or terrariums, however high salt content in the sand made it unsuitable for terrariums or aquariums with freshwater fishes or shrimps. Moreover, Marimo cannot tolerate very high salinity for a prolonged period of time , high salinity will "burn" the surface of the Marimo, causing untreatable white spots on the surface.

When using sand from beaches, remember to rinse it and immerse it in clean water for a few days before using it in the terrarium or aquariums, daily water changes are required to slowly reduce the salinity. If you have a hydrometer, do keep track of the salinity. If proper care is carried out, sand from beaches will be a good choice as aquariums or terrariums' substrates.


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​Decorative Sand or Gravel

Decorative sand or gravel always have a huge selection of colours available to match any type or aquariums or terrariums. From gentle, natural colours to attractive,vivid colours, decorative sands and gravels can be easily purchased and only requires simple cleaning before introducing them into the aquarium or terrarium. However, not all decorative sands can be used in aquatic environment, therefore it is important to use aquarium-safe decorative sand to avoid any unwanted effects on the Marimo. Marimo Malaysia do offers a wide selection of aquarium-safe decorative gravels in our catalog.