riccia carpet

[mr funktastic]

what would i use to make a riccia carpet? i have heard about plastic mesh that people use but where would i get it from? i think i am going to go with a riccia carpet in the next tank i set up but want to be prepared and do it properly. i will compleltly plant the tank and do all the hardscapiong first then i was going to lay the mesh out across the substarte wherever i didnt plant to give a lawn effect. i was thinking about making it look like it was flowing across the entire front and then down the middle under a peice of driftwood almost like a river.... i can picture this but u may not be able to lol. maybe i will draw a sketch later. any advice and experience with riccia is welcome. i have plently of spare time so i dont mind the maintence that comes with riccia.

 

[toddnbecka]

To grow riccia submerged, you need high light levels and CO2.

 

[Glenc]

Sounds very cool mr funk, love the layout idea. It will be be a beautiful tank! Can't help you with the riccia, as I've never grown it. Somebody with more experience will chime in soon.

 

[mr funktastic]

thanks for the support glen lol. toddenbecca this tank will have at least 4 WPG on it and will have a pressurized co2 system. i know the requirements of the riccia just not the trick of getting it o stay down lol. travis uses it on rocks and holds it with hairnets but i need a large flat area compared to a small round one... thats the tricky part.

 

[CHBGator]

I've seen where people take stainless steel heavy gauge wire and cut them into 4-6 inch strips then bend those strips into shapes like spirals and other funky designs them place them over top of the riccia to hold them down. When the Riccia grow and covers the wire it hides them then when you trim the plant you just use the trim pieces to extend your carpet.

 

[mr funktastic]

i just dont like the idea of metal in my tank. maybe a plastic mesh i could try the same thing. i would like to get a large amount of riccia together and do the whole carpet at one time. i will spread it real thin and just let it get thick over time. but how do i hold it to the mesh wether it be metal or plastic?

 

[czcz]

Scroll down for Steve Hampton's Riccia howto: http://www.aquariaplants.com/plantingtips.htm

 

[mr funktastic]

thanks czcz. i like his idea but would the completly sandwiched riccia die? i was thinking about getting those plastic mesh things but then using a hairnet to sandwhich it down. this way it isnt so crushed. i need to get the riccia first lol. i may be getting it from someone here in canada for really cheap. if i do i will post pics on the way i did it. any other suggestions?

 

[hashbaz]

The plastic mesh things can be found at craft stores. I have a friend who sandwhiches his and it does great great. I plan to sandwich mine. The mesh can be tied together with thread or fishing line.

 

[mr funktastic]

so the crushed riccia doesnt die? how fast does riccia grow? any other specific advice regarding it? does it like specific nutrients? lots of nitrates or iron or anything?

 

[fish_4_all]

The stuff is called plastic canvas, very easy to work with and very easy to make just about any shape you want to make. IMO, I think it would do better with a little space so it can actually grow inbetween the plastic canvas pieces and just be trimmed instead of having to trim it and redo the canvas all the time. Might work might not but worth a try.

 

[Purrbox]

Since the plastic canvas is flexible, you don't actually end up "crushing" the Riccia. Obviously you would want to be careful with the Riccia to avoid damaging it. Just gently place the Riccia between the two pieces and fasten them together. Probably best to work with several smaller pieces that way you have more options on moving them around and it's easier to get in and out of the tank for maintenance.

 

[mr funktastic]

how do u trim it? just simply get some scissors and cut it like grass?(not saying that i cut my grass with scissors lol) i will probably go with about 4 different sections for my ground cover. this way i can move and re arrange whenever i want. thanks for the help everyone

 

[Burks]

You can also take small portions of Riccia and place a small piece of gravel on top of it. The Riccia will eventually grow into the substrate, basically attaching itself and forming a carpet.

Let me try to find the webpage that explains it better (this guys tank was awesome).

http://s91840723.onlinehome.us/john/aqua/rfluitansinfo.html

I'm going to start trying this once I remove a bunch of my Java Moss that is just sitting on the substrate.

 

[travis simonson]

Be very careful using Riccia in any manner where it is not securely fastened to something - it has a high tendency to want to float away and grow caught in the leaves of some other plant. It can be a complete menace if not properly attached; you will find the stuff everywhere - a lot like loose moss but much faster growing. I highly recommend using either Steve's method or mine. They both work quite well and are fairly easy to maintain. Hairnets can be dangerous to use if not properly cinched down because it is easy for fish to catch their fins in them so, if you use my method, only use large, round, flat rocks because the hairnet will pull down so close to the surface of the rock that it is impossible for a fish to catch itself in it.

 

[AshleyXavier]

I have been growing riccia for quite a long while. I use stainless steel wire mesh, spread the riccia over it and tied down with hairnet simply by hooking the net to the jagged edges.

My riccia grew like crazy as I have more than 4WPG. It took about a week for the riccia to grow out of the hairnet and cover the wire mesh. 2 wks to look perfect, 3 wks too long.. and time to trim... lolx

The growth have slowed down slightly after I reduce the lighting to about 3.5WPG, now I can trim them once a fortnight instead of every week.

Just a note that riccia can get rather messy, they tend to drop out and float to the top and start growing as a floating plant.

I do not think that using plastic mesh works well as most of them as too light. Having a dense growth of riccia may cause the entire plant and mesh to float up together.. =)

 

[Purrbox]

When using the plastic canvas, the trick to keep it from floating is to use some of those alloy plant weights that look like lead. These add enough weight to keep thinks down without the risk of adding a metal that could affect your water chemistry adversely.

 

[mr funktastic]

i was afraid the metal would affect my water and thats why i was trying to avoid it. i am trying the plastic mesh with some moss right now to see thedifficulty and trying to find the ebst way to keep it down aswell. i may also just get a bunch of round flat rocks like travis suggested since there are tons of them on the shores near me. literally just thousand of flat round stones that make up the shore. either way once i get some riccia from either someone locally or maybe from travis i will post pictures as soon as i do it for people to learn how to do a riccia carpet.