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My moss balls keep turning brown, even though my tank params seem fine. What am I doing wrong? I have a 20 gallon tank, LED lighting for 8 hours a day, and do weekly water changes. The temp stays around 72F.

Moss balls can turn brown due to low light or poor water circulation. They need indirect light and gentle flow. What's your nitrate level? High nitrates can also cause browning. Try moving them to a spot with less direct light and see if that helps.

Yep, moss balls are chill but fussy. Mine did the same thing till I cut the light to 6 hours and added a sponge filter for gentler flow. Now they're green as heck.

Luckyo wrote: ↑Fri Jul 18, 2025 1:26 am Yep, moss balls are chill but fussy. Mine did the same thing till I cut the light to 6 hours and added a sponge filter for gentler flow. Now they're green as heck.

I agree with this. Too much light can bleach them. Also, make sure you're not overfeeding—excess food can mess with water quality.

Mine turned brown when I had a sketchy heater that kept fluctuating temps. Check if your heater's working right. Also, moss balls like colder water, so 72F might be a tad high.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try reducing the light and checking my nitrate levels. Appreciate the help!

Gonna try this too. My moss balls look sad as heck.

Same here. My tank's got high nitrates, so maybe that's the issue. Time to up the water changes.

Or just toss 'em and get plastic ones. Kidding! But seriously, moss balls are drama queens.

trail9 wrote: ↑Fri Jul 18, 2025 6:53 am Or just toss 'em and get plastic ones. Kidding! But seriously, moss balls are drama queens.

They can be tricky, but once you figure them out, they're rewarding. Patience is key.