Riccia Questions

[Misskiwi67]

Hey all,

My little 2 gallon projects turned out to be algae machines. Too much light, more light on one side of the tank than the other, too lazy to do CO2 etc... I also really hated the red planting substrate I got, my tanks looked pink even when algae free and the water was clear. My plants grew just as well as the algae though, and I want to give it another, more thorough effort.

So yesterday I went out and bought myself a 5 gallon hex bowfront, threw the compact fluorescent on top, and purchased some black sand. I managed to seperate enough riccia chunks out of the 2-3 handfuls of riccia/hair algae to make a decent clump. I would like to attach it to some plastic grid sometime in the next couple weeks, but I have no idea where to buy hair nets... any ideas?

Second, although I was super careful, I'm sure there were a few straggling hairs of hair algae in among the clump. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of it without dumping the riccia?

All my tanks before this were low light and pretty self sufficient, and I've NEVER had to deal with algae before...

 

[voo]

I think you'd need CO2 to get riccia growing well.

For mine i used a nylon net, similar to that on packs of oranges. Actually it came from a bag of stones.

 

[Graeme Edwards]

Chemist, Boots, superdug all do hair nets and there really fine too, IMO better than what Voo sugests.

As for Co2, riccia really does need Co2 and strong light.
If you get the riccia to grow well the algae shouldnt be to much of an isue.

 

[madcaow]

i use hair nets (available anywhere hair products are sold really) to secure the riccia to stones. does the job really well.

lots of light and CO2 and the riccia pearls like mad all the time.

as for the aglae i dunno, the riccia seems to be fairly fragile so maybe a bleach bath would be too harsh on it.

 

[Misskiwi67]

Chemist, Boots, superdug all do hair nets and there really fine too, IMO better than what Voo sugests.

As for Co2, riccia really does need Co2 and strong light.
If you get the riccia to grow well the algae shouldnt be to much of an isue.

I keep hearing that riccia is tough, and honestly, I expected it all to die. Going from crypts to riccia was quite the jump. I went on vacation for a week, left my lights off... expected it to die... nope it lived. Moved back to school, the lights are on maybe every 2nd or 3rd day for 2 weeks while I got organized... still lived.

Not only does it live, but it went from about a teaspoon to about 2 good handfulls in about 4 months, even with the poor treatment. I don't know if thats good growth or not, but it sure aint bad. It also pearls now and then, but I was never sure if it was the riccia or the algae pearling. It had some pretty intense light before, I've doubled the size of the tank and I'm using the same light, so we'll see if it continues to do well. I just need the riccia to do better than the algae now.

I'm willing to do DIY CO2 if I need to in the future, I just haven't seen a need as of yet. If thats what will control the algae, then maybe thats what I'll do.

 

[planter]

Hi just had my first go at netting Riccia thought you might like to see some pics!

Riccia 1

Riccia 2

Riccia 3

Riccia 4

Ive tried this once before with fishing line (a bit trickier!) but discovered I had Riccia Fluitans (the bigger stuff) so re done my stones using this dwarf variety. It doesnt really pearl that much on the bottom of my 20" deep tank despite four T5's and Co2 but the left over i left floating pearls all the time!

 

[EliteFishy]

Riccia is very easy to grow for me. If you want to grow it submerged than you really need CO2. If you just let it float than med-high light will do. Dont worry about the hair algae. After a while, you will have tons of riccia and they will use up all the nutrients used by the hair algae. I think the reason people think why riccia is a hard plant is because of the maintance it requires. It grows so fast that it just causes a mess sometimes.

 

[Misskiwi67]

Riccia is very easy to grow for me. If you want to grow it submerged than you really need CO2. If you just let it float than med-high light will do. Dont worry about the hair algae. After a while, you will have tons of riccia and they will use up all the nutrients used by the hair algae. I think the reason people think why riccia is a hard plant is because of the maintance it requires. It grows so fast that it just causes a mess sometimes.

Ok, that makes sense. I never had the opportunity to get it submerged, so that must have been why it did so well.

Thanks!!

 

[madcaow]

the only problem with the dwarf riccia i have is you will have so much just floating about in your tank, its very hard to catch it all!!

i gave some of my cabomba a shake and heaps came out! haha.

h