After a recent discovery of invasive zebra mussels within Marimo or “moss” balls used in aquarium tanks, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is urging the public to take precautions to prevent the spread of this highly destructive species.
A container of Marimo balls sold as “Betta Buddy” was first found to be contaminated with an adult zebra mussel at a Petco store in Washington state on March 3rd. Game and Parks subsequently inspected two Petco locations in Lincoln and found zebra mussels present in several Marimo ball containers.
Since then, contaminated Marimo balls have been found in pet/ aquarium stores in several states. All Petco and Petsmart locations in Nebraska were cooperative when asked by Game and Parks to remove the product from their shelves.
To prevent the spread of zebra mussels from aquariums, Marimo balls should be removed, placed in a plastic bag, frozen solid, then disposed of in the trash. All aquarium owners should dispose of tank water away from water sources, like a stream, and instead dump water in grass or gravel. It is important to not dump aquarium water down the drain as this can spread zebra mussels to water bodies.
