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Re: Riccia
>From: "Robb Van Putte" <robb at bio_tamu.edu>
>Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 20:51:25 -0600
>Subject: Riccia
>
>Hey all,
>
>Yesterday I brought home my first clump of Riccia. I tied it down to
>a flat rock in my tank with some fishing line. I've got a total of
>70W over my 29g tank that it's in. Anybody have any suggestions about
>how to keep this plant (I believe it's actually related to the mosses
>if I remember right) succesfully? I supplement with CO2, give Dupla
>drops once/day, and perform weekly water changes. I guess I want to
>know if anything out of the ordinary should be done to keep this
>plant successfuly. Any and all comments would be
>appreciated. TIA!
>
>Robb D. VanPutte
>Dept. of Biology
>Texas A&M University
Robb:
Riccia seems to like old, harder water (12 DH or better) and will tend
to float after a while. You indicated that you tied it down (like
Amano) and will grow for a while that way if your light is bright
enough. I have it that way in a 70 gallon aquarium with 4 - 40 watt
Tritons on the aquarium (covered with two Triton Enhanchers). After a
while, with growth, it will tend to break off and float; so I use a
different method of growing it on the bottom (plastic screening made
into a tube about 1-1/4 inch diameter into which I put some Riccia and
it grows through the screening). This lasts longer than the Amano
method. However it will still break off in months and float; but what
remains in the screening will continue to grow again.
Neil Frank gave me some of Amano's "riccia". It seems to be mixed with
a fine hair algae and actually sinks. I'm growing some of this now and
waiting to see how it progresses. Actually, it is not as attractive to
me as the Riccia that is shown in our books. It also is a slow growing
plant (or what I think is a combination). Time will tell!
I have found that "Pearl Grass" or "Pearl Weed" to be a much more
attractive bottom cover than the Riccia. (I don't have the scientific
name of the "Pearl Grass" here at this moment.) It actually roots well
and grows like a creeping bottom cover.
I'm not sure that you have enough light for either plant under your
present setup -- unless you want the Riccia floating.
Good luck!
Merrill <amc2 at ix_netcom.com>