Riccia fluitans

Plant Profile

Scientific Name: Riccia fluitans

Common Name: Riccia fluitans

Difficulty: Easy

CO2 Requirements: Moderate

Lighting Requirements: High

Plant Arrangement: Midground

Growth Rate: Fast

Family: Ricciaceae

Genus: Riccia

Origin: Worldwide

Plant Type: Floating

Water Hardness: Medium (GH = 9-13 dH)

Description
Background History
Riccia fluitans is a versatile liverwort (cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information) used in planted aquariums since the 1970s. Riccia fluitans, commonly known as Crystalwort, is also a lush floating plant. Due to its versatility, it is often used for intricate aquascaping in show aquariums. This does not mean that it is for experts only; even novice aquarists can normally keep Riccia fluitans without any trouble. Riccia fluitans should not be kept with vigorous plant eaters, because this plant does not cope well with such attacks.

Popularized by the Japanese Aquascaper, Takashi Amano, Riccia fluitans has become a fan favorite of Nature Style Aquarium Aquascapers. The plant is composed of several tiny plants that can be nestled together to form a beautiful foreground carpet, or even a midground transitional plant.
Riccia fluitans can be found worldwide and is widely available in specialized aquatic plant stores, and through hobbyist’s forums. It occurs naturally in the wild as a floating plant in slow-flowing streams and ponds. Fish fry often take refuge within the network of interconnected moss-like strands.

Growth Characteristics
Although Riccia fluitans is a naturally floating plant, following Amano’s lead, aquascapers from all over the world have netted and submerged the Riccia fluitans branches to grown them out into beautiful lush foregrounds and rock mounds. This liverwort is considered easy to grow, as long as there is ample light and carbon dioxide.
Riccia fluitans is a high maintenance plant due to its rapid growth and no root structure. When left floating close to the light source it can easily double in size within five days time. When submerged, the growth rate is slightly slower, but still requires weekly trimming to shape it into a nice manageable mound, or foreground. If left to overgrow, pieces of Riccia fluitans do have a tendency to break away from the main mass, and wind up in other plants or around a filter’s intake.

 Close-up Riccia fluitans

Aquascaping Application

Riccia fluitans forms thick clusters of bright green threads. If you refrain from pruning, Riccia fluitans will grow into a sphere shaped clump with slightly flattened “poles”, quite similar to planet Earth. Small clumps of Riccia fluitans normally float at or just below the surface. As the plant grows bigger and heavier, it will gradually sink down into the water.

Riccia fluitans does not develop any real root system, but it can anchor itself to solid objects such as rocks and branches. Use a piece of string or a rubber band to attach your Riccia fluitans to begin with and remove the string/rubber band when the plant has anchored itself. In some cases, there will be no need to remove the thread because it will be completely covered in lush green.

Aquascapers submerge Riccia fluitans by securing it around rocks using thin hairnets or sewing thread. Wedged tightly between the rock and the hairnet/thread, the fine Riccia branches will grow in between the cracks, and form an interlaced bushy Riccia mound. Remember, Riccia has a tendency to grow to the shape of the item it is attached to. For a flat foreground appearance, attached Riccia to a thin slate rock or heavy wire mesh. For a more hilly effect, use various sized round rocks.

 Heavy wire mesh for a flat lawn effect

Well-grown riccia planted on heavy wire mesh

 Anchoring riccia under thin net onto small rock

 Riccia fluitans tied on pieces of wood

 Riccia tied using fishing line on slate rock

Clusters of Riccia fluitans mounted on boulders

Trimming or thinning out Riccia is essential so that the lower portions of the plant will still see light and remain secured underneath the mesh. For trimming maintenance, it is best to turn off the filter first, and then trim with scissors. Net all floating bits before turning the filter back on.

Riccia looks stunning as the sole plant in a planted aquarium, or it can be easily paired with other foreground species such as Hemianthus callitrichoides (HC), or Eleocharis parvula (dwarf hairgrass) to complete an Iwagumi style layout.

For those who may grow tired of maintaining Riccia masses, there is a dwarf variety of Riccia Fluitans which contains smaller branches, and has a slower growth rate. The aquascaping possibilities with Riccia fluitans are limitless.

Riccia fluitans in the aquarium
As mentioned earlier, Riccia fluitans is a truly versatile plant that can be utilized in a wide range of ways on the aquarium. Even though it is a floating plant, it can be grown completely submerged. You can let it float free or anchor it to rocks and driftwood to make an “aquarium lawn”. You can let it grow over larger rocks and/or ledges in the aquarium to create a green, hilly landscape.

Riccia fluitans care
Caring for Riccia fluitans is not an arduous task, unless you wish to spend a lot of time pruning into specific shapes. Riccia fluitans is found in a rich assortment of various habitats in many different parts of the wild, and can tolerate a water temperature from 15 to 30 degrees C. This means that you can keep it with a wide range of different fish species. The water hardness can be medium soft to really hard and the pH-value can vary from 6.0 to 8.0.

In fry rearing aquariums

Ricca fluitans provides great shelter for fry, and small fry can also feed on micro organisms that live on this plant. You can either let your Ricca fluitans float at the surface, or anchor it down and create a “lawn” in which eggs and fry can stay hidden. By including plenty of Ricca fluitans, you can actually achieve a rather high survival rate even when fry is left in the same aquarium as adult fish. If you do not wish to set up a separate fry rearing aquarium, adding plenty of Ricca fluitans is a great alternative for many species.

Homemade Natural Remedy

 Olive oil with olives

1) Slimmer body with olive oil
Olive oil is loaded with mono unsaturated fats which are known to slow or halt the oxidation of LDL cholesterol into it's artery clogging form. For those who want a slimmer body, practice consume one tablespoon of olive oil on every breakfast. It actually can help burn fat up to 3 times faster and also increase body metabolism. If it is difficult to swallow olive oil just by itself, prefer to take it with salad. Surely, it will work.

Betelnut tree

 Galanga rhizome

2) Overcome skin disease naturally
Embarrassed by a weird looking bright spot on the body. Overcome it by trying these tips. Actually, white patches is a fungal infection of the skin known as tinea versicolor which may cause by lot of sweating in some body area. First, finely mashed betelnut young shoots with galanga rhizome until it pulverized. Then simply rub it onto the affected area every night before bed. Leave it overnight. With God willing, it will gradually recover. 

Aloe vera

3) Tips to treat toothache
Aloe Vera is another effective herb that is widely used to treat various skin and mouth disorders including tooth pain other than raw onion and peppermint. If you have a toothache, get the jelly content of Aloe vera. Put it on the toothache area and leave it there for 2 to 3 hours. As result, the pain will gradually disappear. 

 Winged bean

4) Reduce the pain of miscarriage
Women who suffer abortions will usually feel pain in the stomach area. Deal it by using the root part of Goa bean or sometimes known as winged bean.  Firstly, clean the root of winged bean throughly. Then boil a handful of it with sufficient amount of water for 10 to 15 minutes. After that, drink a cup of the broth everyday in the morning and evening. Just add a little bit of sugar for better taste. Practice this until fully recovered. 

 Okra

5) Reduce the risk of jaundice in infants
To prevent infant jaundice after giving birth, preferably at 8 months of pregnancy, the mother can practice eating cooked okra. It is more effective when eaten raw as salads with other vegetables on regular basis. Undercooked okra is a good choice if it seems difficult to eat raw okra. 

Malabar Melastone 

6) Treat mouth ulcers traditionally
Ulcers in the mouth can sometimes be too painful, especially to infants and childrens. To make it heal faster you can put little pieces of white Straits Rhododendron on the ulcer. This small fruit is also known with its scientific name as Melastoma malabathricum aka Malabar Melastone or known as 'senduduk' in Malaysia. Eventually, the ulcer will heal in a shorter time than usual.

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