Riccia help.

[Hungriee]

I picked up a bunch of riccia from a fish store recently and tried to tie some on wood branches and tied the rest on a small sheet of hard plastic with holes to try to grow a carpet. It took only two days with 98% of the Riccia to flow and clog the filter intake of my 2 HOBs or just rest on the surface of the water. This is so fustrating......:mad2: It all started with one fish nibbling on it and loosened the riccia. Now its all gone.... :headshake2:

How do you grow a carpet of anything ( I just want a nice carpet ) in a 20g tank with Co2 and 65W of light ? :help:

[livingword26]

Is this the same tank as the one in your signature with the Cichlids in it?

[skillful abbot]

Haha. I know your pain but it can be done. There's my tank below, one year ago with a ricia carpet.

I have two mini bushynose plecs and they love to dig in this stuff and it never came loose.

The thing is, after two years the stuff under it begins to rot causing the riccia to come loose easier when the plecos play in it. Usually after feeding. after 8 months of that condition I finally pulled them all out.

My carpet is not attached to anything... it's just a huge layer of moss with riccia stuck into it. It will not come apart. However, like i said, after a year or two, the lower levels become mulm (moss will still hold the riccia though) and fish that like to play in it will cause a few pieces to wander. I never had a problem with clogging though. Just strands here and there.

So what you want to do is get some willow moss, I like the Nanbu Moss, tie a bit of it down here in there is carpet fashion using stones and ada moss cotton. Tie riccia with the moss on the stones. when those start to grow out and thicker just keep adding riccia in the gaps of moss. In 4 months you will have a nice carpet. That's how I did it. But I'm Aquarius so there is probably and even easier way....

[Mgamer20o0]

i used tooling. found at a fabric store. you want one with small holes. after a couple days it will grow though them and will hold for a month or tow.

[Hungriee]

Yes it is

[Hungriee]

wow you're tanks look awesome in your flickr album.