# Riccia, is it worth the trouble?



## endgin28 (Feb 9, 2010)

It is a wonderful looking plant when well kept, but once it is in a tank, it is hard to eradicate or remove. Nothing pearls like it. It is a fert hog, so you may want to keep that in mind when dosing.


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## AUvet14 (Apr 11, 2011)

I'll post a pic once I get the driftwood in the tank and in place where I want it to give you a better idea of what it looks like, but I'm only planning on 1 or 2 clumps of it. It definitely is beautiful, but I've never done anything with it before. I just thought it would make the perfect cover for the small pieces of driftwood. I don't like the look of any of the mosses, so I thought I might give riccia a try.


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## shrimp pliskin (Mar 16, 2012)

I have some riccia tied on slate and it's beautiful and pearls like no other but my challenge is as it grows it sheds and some pieces get loose creating bald spots on the slate. Not recommended if you're going for low maintenance.

Personally, I wouldn't tie it to driftwood. It's a bright green and not really congruent with what you'd see in nature. Perhaps a java moss or xmas moss would be more appropriate for your driftwood. It will eventually attach itself to the wood while the riccia is forever trying to float.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I find riccia a pain to try to attach it to something. But its great if you want a floating plant. I found moss to be easier to attach.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

attaching it isnt all that hard


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

It attaches itself in a similar manner to damp, emersed surfaces, but you do not have to tie it. A friend had it on the part of the wood that stuck out of his tank. 
I have it growing on the sides of a HOB filter. Near the water fall part, but just to the sides. The water seeps over to those areas, it does not flow hard enough to wash off the Riccia. The attachment is not very strong, and I am careful when cleaning the filter not to disturb it. But it looks really nice. The Riccia has attached itself in a way that looks like the filter has been shingled in green. 
It is constantly shedding and the tank has a lot of floating Riccia islands.


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## UGA_Grad_Student (Feb 14, 2012)

Diana said:


> It attaches itself in a similar manner to damp, emersed surfaces, but you do not have to tie it. A friend had it on the part of the wood that stuck out of his tank.
> I have it growing on the sides of a HOB filter. Near the water fall part, but just to the sides. The water seeps over to those areas, it does not flow hard enough to wash off the Riccia. The attachment is not very strong, and I am careful when cleaning the filter not to disturb it. But it looks really nice. The Riccia has attached itself in a way that looks like the filter has been shingled in green.
> It is constantly shedding and the tank has a lot of floating Riccia islands.



Do you find the "little islands" an issue?? I just put some in not knowing what I was getting myself into and I have it everywhere as well. I still am unsure what to do with it. Right now I have one clump floating in the corner of my tank and another larger clump being held down by some peagravel.


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## Bahugo (Apr 18, 2011)

Diana said:


> It attaches itself in a similar manner to damp, emersed surfaces, but you do not have to tie it. A friend had it on the part of the wood that stuck out of his tank.
> I have it growing on the sides of a HOB filter. Near the water fall part, but just to the sides. The water seeps over to those areas, it does not flow hard enough to wash off the Riccia. The attachment is not very strong, and I am careful when cleaning the filter not to disturb it. But it looks really nice. The Riccia has attached itself in a way that looks like the filter has been shingled in green.
> It is constantly shedding and the tank has a lot of floating Riccia islands.



Riccia does not attach itself. It is a natural floating plant without any roots. It also needs too be trimmed very regularly or else the lower portions will die and clumps will float away.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

Riccia is evil.

When done well it looks amazing.
Most of the time it looks awful.
If you use it as a carpet it is never very uniform.
You can never get rid of all of it if you've trimmed it before. 
It wont attach to anything. 
It is too dang bright to be used with plants other than HC and HM for my tastes.


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## houseofcards (Mar 21, 2009)

If wrapped like ChadRamsey did, Riccia is really quite easy to maintain. I actually use regular hairnets, since when you stretch them over the rocks they pretty much disappear. The key is too remove the stone trim, after trimming dip in water to remove anything lose and then gently replace back in tank. Since the plant floats if you turn off the filter and shake your plants the lose pieces will float to the top where they can be netted out. I've use Riccia on a ton of scapes and barely have to remove anything.


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## ChadRamsey (Nov 3, 2011)

WOW house your riccia looks GREAT! mine is really taking it time filling in like that.


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## ThinkTank (May 24, 2011)

I played around with it for a while. It looks good wrapped on a rock with netting. Trim it monthly and it shouldnt die off and come loose. BUT....the trimmings get everywhere and as others have said its hard to eradicate. I have some that keeps growing out of one of my sponges....must be a little bit embeded in it and I cant get it out.

Now i only keep some in a floating breeder box in my growout tank in case someone wants some. I have 3 other tanks that i'm still trying to eliminate it from....

It looks great but it can be a minor annoyance


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## Green Thumb Aquatics (Jan 1, 2012)

IMO it looks absolutely great when tyed in with glosso in an aquascape, it gets trapped in the glosso and randomly forms little patches.... its one of my favorite plants and as long as it grows well in the tank I put it in I always use it.... only issue is its like moss, if you get green hair algae in it, its pretty much garbage...

use clear shower loufa (sp?) cut the rope in the middle that holds it together and wrap it, tie the back with either fishing line or even easier if its semi roundish, just pull it together and wrap a little twist tie over it. and done!!! super easy takes no time at all


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