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Ricca...



>In regards to Robb VanPutte asking about anchored Riccia on 8/25/96...

In my experience, with good light (70W/29g sounds fine, Robb), Riccia
(fluitans), when anchored at the bottom of a tank, takes a few weeks to get
acclimated and grow the initial first 1"; after that, as it gets above the
fishing line, and gets closer to the light, it's growth is much
accelerated, and when it gets 4-8"long (closer proximity to the light) it
grows very rapidily.

I have noticed NO slow down of Riccia growth at very low iron levels--and
have recently measured zero Fe levels in tanks with thriving anchored
Riccia...?  But I do think that supplemental CO2 is important as it grows
fast and photosynthesis heavily.

I have never had algae grow on Riccia at all, and late in the day as it is
heavily photosynthizing, it forms many pearly oxygen bubbles that often
rise, and catch under the leaves of neighboring plants. The effect is very
natural looking and eye-appealing as well.

Often after reaching a length of 6" or more, or after many months of being
submerged and tied down, the original Riccia often gives up and turns
"mushy"--letting the rest of the "bush" free of the anchor--to rise to the
top of the tank. I find that you can see this seperation from the rock/wood
a few days in advance; I often pull the base materials out when I see this,
remove all the Riccia, discarding the old and tired mush, and tie a clump
of the fresh growth down to start anew--selling the ample and healthy
leftover to local stores.

One thing to note--SAE's, mollies (in particular) and other hair/beard
algae eating fish, have, in my experience, a strong attraction to anchored
Riccia; though they don't actually ingest the plant, they find picking and
lightly tugging at it almost irresistable (most likely because of its
resemblance to hair/beard algae). They never do much harm, but I usually
find healthy bits of Riccia floating at the top of the tank daily; mollies
have seemed the most destructive here, and I at one point had a hard time
keeping the Riccia down with a pair of large black lyre tailed mollies in a
tank with low algae growth.


Todd March
tamrch at primenet_com

Los Angeles, CA