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Riccia ... the AIDS of planted tanks.
on 16/1/00 5:06 pm, Chuck Gadd at cgadd at cfxc_com wrote:
>> be fine. Great plant for some folks. Super indicator plant for CO2 for the
>> expert or beginner.
>
> Plus, it's cool looking. We'll see how it does in my tank.
Yes Riccia is a fine-looking plant indeed.
However, if there is an AIDS for aquariums, I consider Riccia AIDS :-(
Here's my reasoning. I used to keep Riccia for many years. Yes it was very
beautiful and gave my much pleasure. It also caused much pain. This was
because the riccia tended to break-off and float up. Once, I had a large
piece of driftwood actually float up based on the strength of the bubble
that were forming on the riccia attached to it! So whilst beautiful, its
also a lot of work. A lot.
But that would be the least of your worries.
The worst thing happens when your Riccia starts to mutate (see the
similarities?) Some of the Riccia will turn a horrible dark green. This kind
of Riccia will not float. Neither will it bubble. It will just look ugly.
And here's the worst part. You can't get rid of it!! All it takes is one
little strand. Just one. And pretty soon you'll have a clump of Riccia where
you didn't want it. Spoiling the entire layout you worked so hard to
achieve. Like a boil on your face it will irritate you until you tear it
away.
Then you'll find it somewhere else. I've stopped keeping Riccia for almost 2
yaers now. Until today. I'm still pulling out strands and clumps here and
there, even after I cut down my lighting intensity.
So, do keep Riccia by all means. It's a beautiful plant indeed. But remember
this when you're tired of the back-breaking work involved in maintaining it
... it'll always come back and haunt you. Forever and ever. Amen.
Mark Pan
Website:http://home.pacific.net.sg/~mmenace
--
If moral behavior were simply following rules, we could program a computer
to be moral.
Samuel P. Ginder in Washington Post