Many have seen bright green lumps of plants of various sizes in aquariums. This is Riccia. Often this algae is referred to as water moss. Riccia in the aquarium is used for decorative purposes, as well as as a hiding place for fish. It is liked by aquarists because it is multifunctional and unpretentious. But, like all vegetation, it will require special care.
Riccia in the aquarium
The photo of this plant shows that it is very original. These floating clumps of moss are loved by many aquarists. Riccia is a small plate, intertwined. This plant has neither leaves nor roots. Richia in the aquarium looks like islands of bright green moss. They can float near the surface or they can be anchored to the bottom. This algae grows quickly and can decorate any aquarium in a short time.
Riccia never sticks to the object it is attached to. Newly grown leaves fall off the parent stem and float to the surface of the water. In order not to make frequent plant transplants,sometimes you need to refresh its lumps, trimming with scissors or sprinkling with pebbles. This will prevent the ascent.
Useful properties of Riccia
Each owner has his own opinion about this algae. Some believe that this moss only clogs the aquarium, while others, on the contrary, consider this plant to be very useful for water. To find out if this is really the case, let's see what properties this algae has:
- Riccia in the aquarium actively saturates the water with oxygen;
- participates in the metabolism of mineral and organic substances;
- helps very well for fish that do not like intense lighting, creating a shadow for them;
- provides a place for fish to spawn;
- good hiding place for fry;
- simple ciliates breed very well in moss, and this is an excellent food for small fish;
- Riccia love snails and turtles;
- also this plant provides an opportunity to embody the various design fantasies of the aquarist.
Riccia in the aquarium: content
This seaweed does not require special care. The plant is hardy and hardy. A new thallus can develop from a small piece. The plant can live both at a temperature of +15 and at a temperature of +30 degrees Celsius, but 22-28 degrees is considered the most suitable temperature regime. At low temperatures, Riccia begins to turn into spores to wait out the cold. She turns brown at first, and her sizebecomes smaller and smaller until the plant disappears altogether. But when the temperature becomes favorable for the moss, it will reappear, begin to sprout from the spores that it created during withering.
Riccia itself is photophilous, but incandescent lamps are not suitable for it, as it will overheat the water, which will lead to the loss of the plant. In addition, this moss does not like a lot of dissolved particles, so you need to change up to 20% of the aquarium water weekly.
Feeding plants
Riccia in the aquarium does not require additional mineral feeding, unlike other plants. She receives waste products from the fish, which form organic soil for feeding. If the water is too saturated with impurities of organic matter and lime, a plaque starts on the stems of the moss, which will interfere with the process of photosynthesis, preventing light from penetrating. If the fish need quarantine, there is a need to add s alt or medicines, then it is better to temporarily move the fish to another aquarium, then nothing will happen to Riccia. After all, she does not tolerate the presence of s alts in the water at all.
How to propagate this plant?
Riccia reproduces from tiny particles, sticking to the legs of floating individuals that carry the plant from pond to pond. It has the property of growing rapidly in stagnant or slowly flowing waters. Riccia in the aquarium reproduces by dividing the thallus. It is necessary to separate a small piece from the mother bush. It can be transplanted intoanother aquarium where it will grow in a few weeks.
The good growth of the bush can be prevented by fish that love grass, or open mechanical influence. If the thallus is disturbed, it will break into small pieces that are difficult to put back together. Riccia moss in the aquarium grows rapidly, covering the entire surface of the water. As a result, it is necessary to periodically remove part of the plant.
Decorate the aquarium with Riccia
With the help of this plant, you can realize the most daring design decisions. Riccia can not only be on the surface of the water, it can be lowered to the bottom of the aquarium. But for this you need to come up with something to keep it there. How to fix Riccia in an aquarium?
- In order to make a beautiful carpet, you need to lower the seaweed to the bottom with a support, such as pebbles, driftwood or soil. Riccia at the bottom of the tank will give the impression that it is studded with small pearls. A thousand small bubbles that will appear on it will give this look to the plant.
- In addition, moss can be fixed with a net designed specifically for the aquarium, or with an ordinary fishing line. You can also make a net from a washcloth yourself: just remove the rope that ties the washcloth into a circle. The branches of the plant are pulled into the cells, such a carpet is placed on the bottom of the aquarium and pressed down with pebbles along the perimeter.
- If the idea is for the riccia to be attached verticallyor fit on a snag, then you can also hold it with a fishing line. You don't need to worry about appearance. The plant is growing rapidly, and soon the line will not be visible.
- You can also decorate a stone with moss by placing Riccia on its surface and pressing down with a net. The mesh itself is reinforced with the same stone.
- The half of a ceramic pot decorated with Riccia will look very nice. The crock is laid with a cut to the bottom, this will serve as a shelter for the fish, and on top it is decorated with a net with a plant.
Can Riccia be harmful?
Sometimes this algae grows so strong that it prevents light and oxygen from entering the aquarium. This may interfere with the growth of other plants. And the Riccia lowered to the bottom requires additional care: it needs to be trimmed periodically, make sure that it does not float to the surface. In addition, it is necessary to have very rich lighting and fertilizing the plant with carbon dioxide. Therefore, to breed or not this plant, each aquarist decides for himself.
Riccia in the aquarium makes the interior more spectacular. You can use either one stone, dressed up with Riccia, or a whole arsenal, placing them at different levels. Combining into one whole some time after the moss has been immersed in the aquarium, Riccia gives the interior a finished look. If you create good conditions for water moss, then the originality of the aquarium will be amazing.
