Riccia fluitans, whose common name is crystalwort, is an aquatic floating plant of the liverwort

Marchantiophyta

The Marchantiophyta are a division of bryophyte plants commonly referred to as hepatics or liverworts. Like other bryophytes, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry only a single set of genetic information....

 genus Riccia

Riccia

Riccia is a genus of liverworts in the order Marchantiales. One of the more than 100 species in this genus is the "slender riccia" , which can be found floating in ponds, and is sometimes used in aquariums....

which is popular among aquarists as a retreat for young fry and is used in live-bearing tanks. It can be found floating in ponds, and often forms thick mats on and under the water surface.

It normally grows quickly at the surface. When kept about two to three inches below an ordinary fluorescent bulb or in a pond exposed to full sunlight, it will form dense, bright green mats. Any single branch or antler bud can reproduce into a large colony if the plant is kept in proper conditions. It normally floats, but can also be attached to underwater objects such as logs and rocks.

Crystalwort is generally not compatible with duckweeds, as they cover the surface of the water quite rapidly, crowding the Riccia out. It is also easily overtaken by hair algae.

External links

• Care information for Riccia Fluitans
• AquaHobby
• Krib discussions
• Natural Aquariums