Ricca question for the experts

[spida]

I've a question about riccas and algae.

Since ricca is actually a floating plant, does this mean they can help control algae, like duckweed and other floating plants?

[Jason_]

Point 1 : All plants help control algae.
Point 2 : All floating plants need to obtain their nutrients from water, including riccia.
Deduction : Hence riccia definitely will help control algae.
Qtn : As to whether riccia (rootless) or duckweed (with roots) has more effect than the other : well I leave that to the experts.

[budak]

Like Jason said, higher plants as a whole compete with algae for the same nutrients, esp phosphate and nitrogen. Floating plants have an extra advantage in that they can take in CO2 directly from the atmosphere, unlike submerged plants which use dissolved CO2 (CO2 concentration is higher in air than in water). So fast growing ones like Salvinia, Ceraptoresis (Sumnatra fern) and duckweed can rob algae of nutrients (and light) more efficiently than submersede plants.

Riccia floats but since the thallus doesn't actually grow "out" of the water, but just below surface, I expect it to be somewhat less effective.

Of course, if you overfertilise or overfeed, even floating plants won't help much. If your tank is well established and has adequate light and CO2, you should be able to add liquid fert at about 2/3 thirds the recomemmnded dosage and get great results all the same.

[koon]

I'm not expert here but I can share my experieces with u guys.

I use riccia as start-up plant for controlling fertilizer in the water and to compete with algae growth.
U can just float a whole bunch or tie down the whole bunch.

It can also help u to indicate whether u have good CO2 and lighting by its bubbling.

rgds

[Simon]

HI spida, riccia, floating plants or any other fast growers will help absorb excess nutrients from the water..

[spida]

Thanks for the info guys, very informative.

I'm actually trying to find the best way to help my uncle and the algae problem in his "fountain-pond". He got this square fontain that's sitting on his balcony and has fish in them. its a pretty new set up but he has a major algae problem, kind of like green water. even cleaning week;y isn't helping and its getting into the pumps as well.

Can't get snails cos they'll all crawl out, so i'm trying to figure what's the next best alternative for him aside from chemicals. And its got to be simple and hassle free cos he's not a fish person.

There's just fish a couple of sucker fish no plants whatsoever.

Any suggesstions?

Thanks,
Spida

[wks]

If its green water, get a ultra-violet device and run your pond water through it. That should clear up the water soon.

[spida]

Err... what kind of ultra violet device could you elaborate? Is it expensive?

Thanks,

[Simon]

ultra violet filters or UV Sterilizer


Pond Maintenace


Green Water and UV Sterilizer

[spida]

thanks for your help guys!

[Vican]

A 9W UV sterilizer is big enough to go thru a 7000l pond and costs $130-150. I have this for my betta barracks, but somehow, some of my bettas are still having finrot 2 days after water changes.

The 7W version should probably suffice for your needs. But the price is not much cheaper, probably $90-110.

The packaging says that the Phillips bulb lasts 8000hrs

[james]

Hi Koon et al,

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On 12/28/2001 10:31:33 PM

I'm not expert here but I can share my experieces with u guys.

I use riccia as start-up plant for controlling fertilizer in the water and to compete with algae growth.
U can just float a whole bunch or tie down the whole bunch.

It can also help u to indicate whether u have good CO2 and lighting by its bubbling.

rgds
----------------

I don't quite understand the concept behind using riccia for controlling fertilizer. Hope someone can enlighten me. Also are there any other plants use for the same purpose? Sorry not much experience in this area

Thanks!

[Allen_1971]

James,

during a start up of a tank, there are lots of fertilizers in the substrate, and also in the water. As such it is usually recommended to place lots of fast growing plants to suck up these nutrients. The reason being that if your plants don't get them, the algae will. When that happens you'll get a very nice but probably undesirable algae bloom.

Allen