Conditions for riccia to grow well

[Fuu]

Hi all,

Had tried to gro riccia for the past 3 mths and they dun seem to grow well. They are growing very slowly and it is not bubbling too. Wonder why?? My tank size is 45cmX30cmX30cm with a 38W PL light. The rate of the co2 is 1bps, ph is about 6.5 and kh 4. The NO2 tested is almost 0. Water fertilization using dennerle V30 twice a mth after a water change. also added are iron and potassium from seachem. The bio loads are 10 yamatoes, 20 neons, 5 blue tetra and 3 emperor tetra.

any kind souls can help me.....

regards

[PohSan]

I think maybe is bcos of the water temperature. My ricca was not growing properly also but after i installed a fan to cool down the temp to around 29 degC, my riccia starts to bubble. I only use 1 FL tube and DIY CO2, considers a low tech tank.

[chua]

Ricca needs not only strong but direct light as well if you want to see it bubble.

Is any of your taller plants blocking it?

You can test by pulling a bit of your ricca attached and let it float on the surface. If you see that it is bubbling, then you can conclude that it is due to the lack of lighting and not due to your water conditions.

[Fuu]

Hi, I made a check on the temperature and it is around 30°C. I'm curremtly trying to diy a fan to cool down the temperature. another thing, notice that those bits of riccia that are floating are not bubbling too....

sad...

[theodore]

Riccia only needs strong light and CO2. They are so much of a weed that you should see pearling even if you don't fertilize well.

Lower temperature only affect the thickness of the riccia and seldom help you get the pearling you desire. On the contrary, you may find pearling easier to achieve at higher temperatures because O2 saturation level is lower at higher temperatures.

Temperature (C) ...... ppm Oxygen (O2) @ sea level
10 ...... 11.3
15 ...... 10.1
20 ...... 9.1
25 ...... 8.2
30 ...... 7.5
35 ...... 6.9


Try a water change (30-50%) first. If the loose riccia don't bubble at the end of the day after you did that, it is time to increase your CO2 injection. If you are using a colour chart pH testkit (e.g. Sera), it is likely that you are not getting the correct pH reading. At KH4, a 0.1 difference in pH reading can make a bigger difference that you realise.

[chua]

Is your PH really 6.5. If it is, then there should not be any problem with your CO2 level. With your KH of 4, the CO2 level is more than enough. (about 30ppm)

There can be two possibilites, since it is not due to the light, maybe you had taken your PH or KH values wrongly.

[PeterGwee]

Riccia is a CO2 demanding plant...I suspect your CO2 level to be below optimum level. It is also an NO3 hog also....but first get the CO2 levels right first and then fertilize well.