Riccia Fluitans Tissue Culture - Small Cup

Plant Profile

Common Names: Floating Crystalwort, Riccia fluitans, Riccia

Riccia Fluitans is the choice for you if you want to recreate the legendary, high-definition layouts made famous by master aquascaper Takashi Amano. This unique liverwort grows in thick, bright green, interlocking mats that look absolutely striking under bright lights. Because it is rootless, it can either be left free-floating at the surface or tied and glued down to rocks, driftwood, or stainless steel mesh to form a bubbling green carpet. Under strong lighting and a steady supply of carbon dioxide, it will routinely trap oxygen bubbles right at its leaf tips, producing a breathtaking, shimmering phenomenon known as "pearling."

By choosing the Tissue Culture version of this plant, you are guaranteed a 100% pest-free, algae-free, and pesticide-free start for your aquarium. These plants are grown in-vitro in a sterile laboratory setting, ensuring no unwanted snails or hitchhikers enter your system. While these plantlets start smaller and require more time to mature, they offer the cleanest and most reliable method for establishing a healthy colony in planted tanks.

Key Features & Benefits

• The iconic, vibrant neon-green coloration and fine branching structure provide a high-end, professionally scaped look that few other plants can replicate.
• Functions beautifully as either a thick, floating surface habitat for labyrinth fish and fry, or as a dense, low-profile foreground carpet when secured to hardscape.

Care & Planting Instructions

• Keep a close eye on this plant, as it grows incredibly fast and spreads like crazy once established. Without frequent, aggressive trimmings, it may overtake your tank.
• Because Riccia has zero root systems to anchor itself, the bottom layers will naturally die off and lose their grip as the top layer grows thick and heavy. Pruning it regularly with sharp shears will keep it low and compact.
• Wrap the tissue culture portions tightly to stones or mesh pads using clear fishing line, hairnets, or aquarium-safe glue to ensure it stays anchored to your substrate.
• Provide medium to high lighting and clean weekly water changes; running it under strong light will quickly force it into a dense, rapid-growing green cushion.
• Propagate your layout by simply pulling or cutting apart the thick mats and relocating the loose pieces to new areas of your tank.
• Master the prep and planting process by checking out a beginner's guide to tissue culture plants to prevent your delicate new plantlets from melting or floating away.

Quick Facts

Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!

• Family Name: Ricciaceae
• Origin: Widespread
• Growth Rate: Fast
• Lighting Needs: Medium to High
• Temperature Range: 60 to 80° Fahrenheit
• pH Range: 6.0 to 7.5
• Care: Easy to Medium (High maintenance due to frequent trimming needs)
• Co2: Not necessary but recommended to achieve pearling
• Propagation: Divide or separate the interlocking mats