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RE:Riccia and willow moss



>>>Amano ties it to flat slate stones using "riccia line" (a sort of very
>thin
>fishing line). 

How about fishing line rather than Riccia line? Seems this item is**way**
over priced and very easily found at any bait shop sporting shop in
N.America for peanuts.
Same for the Moss string.........  .  .  .  . .  . kind of like buying
Japanese tap water :)

 In some aquascapes, Amano uses riccia and hairgrass
>together.  He uses a method whereby he places two bunches of hairgrass along
>side a riccia patch.  He then takes individual strands of hairgrass and ties
>them over the riccia patch.  Interesting.<<
>
>Sounds simuliar to Dan Quackenbushes method of mixing Riccia and Willow
>moss. The theory is that that the mass of the additional plant helps to bind
>the Riccia and keep it from breaking apart. The Willow moss or even java
>moss will adhere to the rock or whatever surface is there, and intertwine
>with the Riccia.

Dan came up with it? I thought Amano did? Doesn't matter too much I guess:)
It works well due the surface being somewhat more gripping/adhesive etc for
the Riccia to get entangled in. Also when a clump pulls off due to the O2
bubbles from not being trimmed etc often a small piece of Riccia will remain
and grow out again filling in the hole. Also when the Riccia pulls off or
you just get tired of messing with it you have a nice moss covered
branch/rock underneath which requires far less maintenance. The Moss can
attach well and some some moss attaches to the thallus of the Riccia. These
break off some times but a small piece of Riccia still remains to start
growing all over again.

 Hairgrass being a rooted plant, I dont understand how it
>would work the same way exactly.

It just gets entangled well as they both grow. You can pull (be very gentle)
the excess Riccia off the top or trim it. A hair comb works well also. Many
of the Hairgrass/Riccia fusions are of the sinking type of Riccia. A few
photo's are of the lighter floating type we like more often but most if you
look real close are not. These are temporay set ups in many cases and seldom
stay that way! They either get over grown(the Riccia wins out) and turn into
a mat of Riccia(which some folks want anyway) or it's just a temporary look.
You can keep that way but it does require taking the Riccia stones out
trimming them./Re-tying and replanting some hairgrass which can be a a big 2
hours job weekly or every 2 weeks on a 4 foot long tank with a 6 inch
foreground. Depends on how exact you want it basically. Bladderwort(U.
gibba?) is a binder for Riccia also and Amano uses it too but doesn't
mention it.
It helps quite well also.

Now keeping things separate and "pure" can be very difficult once you have
introduced these other plants to your tank !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
Big warning here!
But some feel like it looks like a weed choked mat rather than a nice mix of
plants. Some folks want a pure Riccia or pure Hairgrass foreground for
example.


Regards, 
Tom Barr