Meet "Doc"

Doc came into our home on Tuesday,

and, as he should be treated, he was immersed in cool water and moved around a bit.

What is he?

Well, despite my best efforts to obtain one,

Doc is not a tribble.

He's a fuzzy ball of algae called a 

Marimo.

He's easy to grow, and, due to his size,

he must be around 2-3 years old.  

Marimo grow very slowly in the wild.

Doc, though, was farm raised and grown.

The Marimo are becoming scarce in the wild.

Too many poachers are taking them to be grown in the home.

I'm glad Doc was born on a farm and harvested from there.  

Those in the wild deserve to be free.

These Marimo are round because they are moved so much by the waves in the ocean.

The stream of waves keeps them moving.

I'm hoping Doc retains his shape.

He grows easily in tap water.

He only requires that his water be changed once a week.

He likes his water cool because the Marimo are found in the deeper, darker parts of the oceans

No need to feed him, he gets his food from the light that comes into his home.

He doesn't need bright light either.

Too much light will make Doc turn brown.  

Doc is in the middle of the dining room table where he has ample light.

I'm anxious to see him grow, but I might not live long enough to see him reach the 12 inch size that the older ones attain.

I just hope that Doc is happy in our home.

He's very happy so far.