How to keep Riccia down and stay on the wire mesh?

[Georgeer]

Due to outstanding "self-grown" Riccia floating on the surface of my tank. I had changed the moss landscape to a total Riccia landscape. After changing the lights to pure daylight at 5X18W FL, the plants are growing well and the Riccia thrived to form terrific landscape.

But this is only the beginning, recently I notice the Riccia are starting to detach from the wire mesh and net on the driftwood. The once beautiful Riccia landscape is starting to look "Botak".

Questions to the experts:

1. How to keep Riccia stay put on the wire mesh/net?
2. Is 5 X 18W FL for 3ftX18'X18' tank sufficient?

Thank you for the advice.

[Allen_1971]

This is quite normal with Riccia... most people who grow riccia have to do one of the following periodically

1. Re-net/mesh the riccia
2. Give the riccia regular "hair-cuts"

Riccia doesn't put down roots as its a floating plant, when it grows too thick, the plants below which are physically anchored to the net/mesh die from lack of light... as such, the plants on top lose their "anchor" and float up.

[Georgeer]

What about throwing sand over the Riccia patch? Will that help?

[Allen_1971]

not in the long run... what you're encountering is the exact reason why many people get disillusion with riccia... nice to look at, but a pain to maintain.

[juggler]

I remember this thread by Simon: new and interesting ways to keep those riccia down.

And the site in question is here: http://www.buckmanshome.com/ricciafluitans.html

[Georgeer]

The link to the original article at aquabotanic is no more there. But from the original threads in the forum, I somehow get some idea. Maybe I will get some of those bigger interval wire mesh and drop them over the riccia lawn.

Hope that works, else the tank will get more and more FE in it.