N.C. Wildlife Officials Warn Aquarium Moss Balls May Contain Invasive Species

Samantha Gilstrap,

RALEIGH, N.C. — Officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are warning anyone who has purchased aquarium moss balls recently that they may contain an invasive species called zebra mussels and should be carefully discarded immediately.

Native to the lakes of southern Russia and Ukraine, zebra mussels can negatively impact ecosystems by filtering out algae that native species need for food, kill native mussels, coat surfaces with razor sharp shells, and can block water intake pipes as they rapidly multiply.

Officials say while no cases have been reported in North Carolina yet, they noticed the moss balls were imported from Ukraine to a distributor in California who shipped the contaminated product to pet stores across the nation.

Wildlife officials say the facility that imports the moss balls has been quarantined and shipments are no longer going out.

Officials say a moss ball is a species of green algae that is two to five inches in diameter, and are bought for home aquariums to help absorb harmful nutrients in the water and limit the growth of undesirable algae.

Officials say retail outlets that sell moss balls may not know they are potentially selling a contaminated product.

Fisheries biologist Todd Ewing says, β€œThe Wildlife Commission has led a concerted effort to keep the species out of the state because of both the negative ecological and commercial impacts. It’s actually illegal to possess zebra mussels in North Carolina.”

Anyone who has recently purchased moss balls is asked by the Commission to get rid of them by placing them in a plastic bag and freezing them overnight, boiling them, or soaking them overnight in a bleach solution.

Officials say the moss balls should then be put into a bag and thrown away in the trash.

For your aquarium, officials say to remove the fish first and then apply a bleach solution of one cup of bleach per gallon of water and let that set for at least an hour before disposing of the water down the sink or toilet.