[ForensicFish]

I would advise you remove those moss balls asap! Soon you will find your plants with tufts of cladophora algae release by the moss balls. Cladophora is very tough to remove on plant leaves once it gets a hold. I know your shrimp love them (great for food) but its not worth the hassle.

I have a bunch of moss balls in my sump so my fry and shrimp can feed off them. They also help reduce other forms of algae as well as nutrient uptake. So they are not all bad, but they will shed algae on to your other plants.

 

[ForensicFish]

is that that string form of algae????!!!

ihad my moss ball in my 20 l and inotced this green string algae growing on my plants iwas like WTH

Most likely.

 

[ForensicFish]

It has happened to every single tank I had them. However, I did not have any shrimp in those tanks so having shrimp might help quell that.

Moss balls are also great snacks for cichlids. So some people who have cichlids may be on the "nay" side.

I mostly found the cladophora on my anubias. Granted the anubias were right next to the moss balls. Second, if you do not have adequate flow around your tank, you will notice the moss balls accumulating mulm, detritus, uneaten food and plenty of poo. They can be come unsightly due to the accumulation of such. However, depending on the size of your shrimp colony, they may be able to keep them clean and prevent the algae from attaching to other plants.

As for time frame when it started I do not know. But once it starts, it doesn't stop.

You are free to do whatever you want, I was just sharing my experiences. So if you end up seeing the cladophora attaching to your plants you will understand why.

Cheers.