Step By Step Guide - Riccia And Java Moss

[IovaykInD]

Jimbooo, when you say lay the java moss by their individual strands, do you really mean one strand at a time? I'm just wondering because I didn't know if java moss will grow that way. Seeing as each strand will grow by itself, next time I will recarpet them using one strand at a time, and not twisted together.

 

[wrecker]

how sad isaac.(carlton)

karry lets them grow itself

 

[jimbooo]

Jimbooo, when you say lay the java moss by their individual strands, do you really mean one strand at a time? I'm just wondering because I didn't know if java moss will grow that way. Seeing as each strand will grow by itself, next time I will recarpet them using one strand at a time, and not twisted together.

yes one at a time. each strand is a plant in its own right and will carpet better that way.

 

[Luke_e]

you need some type of grid/slate tyle or whatever to lay the riccia on. anything water safe will do.

sorry i haven't found anything for sale hence why i improvised with the crate thing.

I have a nice piece of slate i could use, isnt that big though, probably just larger than a size of a5 paper. If i was to use this, would the carpet spread off the slate and spread out (java moss) or would it be confined to the slate?

 

[jimbooo]

both riccia and java moss carpets are limited by the size of the slate/grid or whatever you use. it wont grow off it along the substrate. it's quite handy really as you can put the slate/grid in the tank first and make sure the size is right, then do the whole hairnet thing and plop it in the tank. if you need to cover a bigger area just use more pieces of slate/grid for multipul carpets.

thats how you get the rolling hills effect with riccia, multipul carpets placed next to each other.

 

[Luke_e]

Cheers jimboo!

 

[haich]

great thread that jimboo so much so i purchased some riccia fluitans today myself btw newbie here a few quick questions if i may what sort of fertilizer should i look at getting ,should i add fertilizer to the tub i have it growing in or just to the tank when its ready to go in and is it just tap water you trim it in or do you use the tank water? cheers if i think of anything else i shall call on you once again if you dont mind cheers btw keep up the good work

 

[nightowl2912]

great thread that jimboo so much so i purchased some riccia fluitans today myself btw newbie here a few quick questions if i may what sort of fertilizer should i look at getting ,should i add fertilizer to the tub i have it growing in or just to the tank when its ready to go in and is it just tap water you trim it in or do you use the tank water? cheers if i think of anything else i shall call on you once again if you dont mind cheers btw keep up the good work

hi have a look at this site
tropical fish centre please add this in without the spaces in place of ####
(http/www.####.co.uk/plants.htm)
thank u

 

[ezrock]

url didnt work for me. i suspect it has to do with the #### part

-Ian

 

[wrecker]

fascinating

 

[craynerd]

Jimboo...i have my riccia fluents growing in the top of my tank and i know have enough to cover what little area i wish to cover but i have a few questions and concerns!!

I have originally ripped a cheap metal bird feeder apart and cut the frame out of that! It only occurred to me a few mins ago, could this react over time with the water! Maybe plastic is better! HOWEVER, how do u know after years in the tank whether that will begin to leach? Do you think I’m ok to go about using the wire mesh or would u look for something plastic?

Secondly, i`m concerned about the hair net bit! I cant really see from your pictures what’s been done with it! Basically do you just put your riccia on the mesh surface (which is obviously held down by a piece of slate or like) and then place the hair net over the top to trap all the riccia onto the mesh? Do you need to teeze any riccia through the holes or will it begin to grow through naturally?

ALSO if i do have this right and you just place the hair net over the whole lot, how tight do you place it over? I presume just enough to hold it down but with a little room? OR does the hair net need to be very tight down ontop of the riccia!

Im struggling to tell you the truth! Its just the fine detail of the procedure i`m struggling with!

Also, need to go out and actually find a hair net!!! Superdrug sell them in the UK does anyone know, or Boots?

Hope you can help, then maybe i can get my riccia carpet growing!

Chris

 

[jimbooo]

hi chris.

i would avoid metal as in time it will inevitably rust releasing god knows what into the water. i've always used a plastic mesh (cut out of a vegetable punnet from my local village shop). you dont actually have to use a mesh at all. you can just put your riccia on a slate tile and hairnet over that. it will never root so it really doen not matter what object you use to build your carpet on as long as it's fish safe.

attaching net:
simply spread your riccia in a single layer over the slate/mesh or whatever. you should jsut see gaps through it. dont pile it on. then place the slate on your knee, stretch the hairnet out fully and pull tightly over the riccia trapping it. then turn the whole lot upside down and spin it a few times to twist up the excess hairnet beneath the slate/mesh and tie off. any slack will cause disasters. it'll be like having a fishing net in your fish tank!!! not a good situation for the fish. then to be on the safe side wind some cotton thread around the little package 3 or 4 times. just another way to make sure the net doesn't go slack.

dont pull any riccia through, just dump it in direct light on the substrate and leave it be. within a week the riccia will have grown through the net and concealed the net and cotton completely.

the whole lot will keep growing and growing until at some point (3 months or so) it will have grown right through the net and float out the top. at which point start again. (oh the joys of riccia lol)

if you put too much on the mesh/slate in the first place it will only last a month until it bursts through the net.

i get 100% nylon hairnets from my local village chemist store "Lloyds" type stores in the UK will do them if not go to sainsburys in the haircare section.

hope that helps
james

 

[craynerd]

Thanks James!

Thats really cleared things up! I think that further explanation would be worth adding to your origonal message since its really cleared things up!

When you say after 3 months or so start again!! Do you mean you literally have to pull it to bits and start again or can you just give it a hair cut?

Also will the riccia spread across the floor or will i have to make the base big enough for the area i wish the riccia to spread over?

Chris

 

[jimbooo]

yep totally start again.

the riccia will not crawl, move or anything. the carpet will not get any larger than the original bit you made. basically the original batch you trap under the new will just multiply forming a cushion. the problem is once that cushion grows through the net far enough (see pic below) it will cut out all the light to the 10% of riccia still under the net. this bottom part will then go white and die, breaking free of the net. you'll come home one night to a big slab of matted riccia bobbing on the surface.

you then pull the matt apart and start again (you'll have about £100 worth of riccia to play with as a by product!!!) if you want to you can now make a MASSIVE carpet the next time around.

here's a picture just prior to starting again and the result when the bottom dies.

this

will turn into this after a while

 

[craynerd]

lol, right thats amazing!!

Im gonna try this for sure tonight!!

You know the bridge of riccia, did u make that or is that when it burst open!

Chris