# This isn't riccia is it... IDs please



## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

I bought this at the LFS. I asked a worker for riccia, he went and asked another worker who said "yeah, we've got some riccia left..." and they sold this to me. I'm suspicious about whether or not it's actually riccia. It looks more "leafy" like branchy blades of grass than it does branchy like most of what I've riccia look like. Texture-wise it reminds me of the fake plastic easter grass for easter baskets.

I've had it in the viv for about a week and it's not dying (which is a plus) but I'll be a little disappointed to not have what I thought I bought. If it's not riccia, does anyone have experience growing this in a viv? At least they gave me a good deal on it if it's not riccia 

The closest 3 are pieces of it. The middle of those 3 pieces has an unusually wide blade to it (there are very few pieces with that thick of a blade), but that small bit coming off the top is similar to the rest of the "riccia". 


















It also came with a couple hitchhikers. Just out of curiousity I threw them in the viv along side the riccia to see how they'd fare. Anybody know what these are?

#1 Looks like it was rooting...









#2 As shown with riccia to the right and java moss to the left. (I know the java will probably overgrow that little spot of riccia).









#3 Camera died before I could get a picture. However, it's on the right side leaning up against the driftwood arch. It actually does look like grass with single long blades. Notice number 2 is sitting next to it, but has since been moved.









Thanks for the help all


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

Not Riccia. I've seen it in may planted aquariums, but have never looked into what it is. 

Pic of my riccia:


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## inka4040 (Oct 14, 2010)

In your first pic, I can see a couple needle leaf java fern leaves. Willing to bet an Internet biscuit that's what your grassy looking plant is. The liverwort could be pellia, and the plant with the tiny leaves looks like hemianthus micranthemoides.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Definitely isn't riccia haha


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## Roots (Mar 7, 2008)

Yea not even close to Riccia. oh well.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Great... I figured as much once I got home and laid it out. Does anybody have an idea as to what the bulk of the "riccia" is? 

At least it was less than $5. I wonder what it would look like if I could get it to grow... Or maybe I should just keep looking around locally to see if i can find some ACTUAL riccia locally. I know there's a decently active planted aquarium community.


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## Roots (Mar 7, 2008)

PeanutbuttER said:


> Great... I figured as much once I got home and laid it out. Does anybody have an idea as to what the bulk of the "riccia" is?
> 
> At least it was less than $5. I wonder what it would look like if I could get it to grow... Or maybe I should just keep looking around locally to see if i can find some ACTUAL riccia locally. I know there's a decently active planted aquarium community.


You can usually find vendors online. check out aquabid.com - they usually have a good selection of aquarium plants.

AquaBid.com - Sell or buy aquarium related equipment and fish in an auction format!


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Thanks, I've looked on there but I'm trying my best to find some locally first. I figure that if I can find some aquarium guy with some then I'm more likely to get more for the price and it will hopefully be healthier not having had to be shipped halfway across country. It does look like there are a few people selling it on that site so it will be a good back-up plan if I get skunked.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

What sucks doubly so is that I've now got this stuff growing in a a gallon of water on my kitchen shelf because I wanted to have enough riccia 1) if this didn't acclimate to emersed well or 2) if I wanted to set up another viv...

Turns out I've been growing the equivalent of junk in my kitchen. I think I will just not mention that to my wife


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## Roots (Mar 7, 2008)

PeanutbuttER said:


> What sucks doubly so is that I've now got this stuff growing in a a gallon of water on my kitchen shelf because I wanted to have enough riccia 1) if this didn't acclimate to emersed well or 2) if I wanted to set up another viv...
> 
> Turns out I've been growing the equivalent of junk in my kitchen. I think I will just not mention that to my wife


Haha - had to read that one out loud to my fiance - btw - nice frogs.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 18, 2011)

It looks to me like you do have a few small pieces of Riccia in there, but the rest is either Pellia or Suesswassertang. Looks more like Suesswassertang to me based on size, but I do have problems telling the difference between the two LOL


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Roots said:


> Haha - had to read that one out loud to my fiance - btw - nice frogs.


Thanks. It's been a snowy day today so I've just been hanging out on the internet. I posted those pics to a planted aquarium forum and found out what it was. It's Monosolenium tunerium pillea Monosolenium tenerum (Pellia) . Turns out it can be grown emersed, but when you're going for a riccia look, it just isn't the same. 

And on the plus side, through posting on that forum another local guy (who has riccia) said he'd gladly do a straight-up trade with me X) so this story may still have a happy end!


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

lauraleellbp said:


> It looks to me like you do have a few small pieces of Riccia in there, but the rest is either Pellia or Suesswassertang. Looks more like Suesswassertang to me based on size, but I do have problems telling the difference between the two LOL


That same comparison was made on the aquarium forum I posted on. I honestly can't tell the difference. Thanks!

BTW, which pictures do you see riccia? I want to see if I can isolate it/id it so I'm sure I know what I'm looking at.


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## Roots (Mar 7, 2008)

After looking at pictures of Suesswassertang - it does look a lot like a larger version of riccia - congrats on the pending trade.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Trade went through! Isn't it great when things just work out how they're supposed to? I'm not sure what I did to earn this kind of good luck. He told me he had a large pad just floating around on top of one of his aquarium that he's swap me for the pillea. I had no idea this is what he meant when he said "large"









What an awesome trade for me! He was happy to have the pillea and I got a TON of actual riccia  

I put a lot of it in the viv.
















I'm finally pleased with the viv now. Now it is complete. There's still tons of leaf litter in the back and the riccia only covers 1/3 or so of the ground space.


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## Rhesus Feist (Jan 20, 2011)

Not sure if you kept either of the bonus hitchhikers you got with the Pellia, but #1 looks like a gnarled peice of Anacharis, or possibly Dwarf Baby Tears, but probably Anacharis. Hitchhiker #2 looks like it might be Standard Baby Tears _Micranthemum umbrosum_ or possibly Moneywort. Im less sure about the second one though.

-Chris


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Rhesus Feist said:


> Not sure if you kept either of the bonus hitchhikers you got with the Pellia, but #1 looks like a gnarled peice of Anacharis, or possibly Dwarf Baby Tears, but probably Anacharis. Hitchhiker #2 looks like it might be Standard Baby Tears _Micranthemum umbrosum_ or possibly Moneywort. Im less sure about the second one though.
> 
> -Chris


I did keep a piece of each of the hitchikers and put them in the water feature to see how it would do.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 18, 2011)

PeanutbuttER said:


> That same comparison was made on the aquarium forum I posted on. I honestly can't tell the difference. Thanks!
> 
> BTW, which pictures do you see riccia? I want to see if I can isolate it/id it so I'm sure I know what I'm looking at.


Your pics aren't showing up any more! lol

From memory, there was a piece or two you had with lots of thinner branches. That's what Riccia looks like- now that you have some, you can probably compare the leaves yourself and see.

I personally am not a fan of Riccia, but that's from trying (in vain) to keep it where I want it in an aquarium... since it's not really rooted the durn stuff goes floating all over the place and drives me batty LOL I'm liking it as a carpet in these vivs I'm seeing, though, so maybe I'll change my opinion after all!

The differences between Suesswassertang and Pellia are really subtle, and you may need to put them under a microscope to 100% make an ID sometimes- especially because they can show different growth patterns under different conditions (lighting levels, supplemental nutrients, etc). My own observation is that Suesswassertang just overall tends to have a bit more chaotic "leaf" shape, whereas Pellia usually is slightly smaller/more slender and the "leaves" are a bit more rounded, like flattened bubbles.

And I agree that your hitchhiker #2 looks like Micranthemum umbrosum or Hemianthus callitrichoides or H. micranthemoides (all are commonly called "baby tears"). All of these would do really well growing emersed, with just their roots in the water. The stems are quite delicate though, so IDK if they'll hold up to being trampled by frogs.

I like the new viv setup! Very nice!


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

lauraleellbp said:


> Your pics aren't showing up any more! lol


Yeah, sorry about that. I organized my photobucket and moved the pics to a separate sub-folder. I forgot that that would make a difference here on the forum.




lauraleellbp said:


> I like the new viv setup! Very nice!


Thank you! I still can't believe how much riccia I got. I had thought I would need to plant small bits here and there and let it fill in, but this was more like laying sod. I cut it to shape and laid it right in.


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## dartboard (Jan 30, 2011)

Thanks for the help man, I went to the same guys house and got a similar size bag of it... he has a sweet set up over there and we says the riccia doubles on him every 2 weeks or so... I put it all around my viv as well and now we will just wait and see where it decides to grow!

As a follow up, has the riccia you put in dies out in some spots and taken hold in other spots? Ive only had mine in there for a day so it is all really green still.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

Yeah, it's still green. I have the humidity bumped up higher than usually and mist it regularly. I covered the vent that I normally have on the top to keep humidity up.


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## pet-teez (Oct 3, 2007)

Actually, people pay more for pellia than they do riccia, aquascapers have a tendency of putting riccia up there with duckweed, stuff gets in everything. hehe


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

That's surprising. I paid $4 total for the pellia when they thought it was riccia. I got a golfball and a half's worth. Now I'm curious what the going rate actually is. 

Yes, on the aquarium forums I've recieved an earfull about why I shouldnt be putting riccia in my tank and I had to gently remind them that things are different when your tank is a viv.


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