Riccia Fluitans - Tissue Culture - Tropica

Riccia fluitans | Tissue Culture: Pest-Free Floating or Carpeting Liverwort

Riccia fluitans is a cosmopolitan liverwort made of fine, branching, ribbon-like strands that form a dense, bright green, cloud-like mass. It can be grown as a floating plant at the surface or tied down underwater for a lush, mossy texture. It was popularised in the aquascaping world by Takashi Amano, who used it submerged on stones and hardscape to create soft green mounds and carpets. Left to float, it forms a dense, sheltering raft that gives fry and young fish valuable cover.

This listing is for tissue culture, grown in sterile laboratory conditions and supplied in a sealed cup. It arrives free from pest snails, algae, and unwanted hitchhikers, which makes it a safe choice for shrimp tanks and clean new setups.

Why Tissue Culture?

Tissue culture plants arrive clean, young, and vigorous. Because they are grown in sterile gel, there is no risk of introducing pests or contaminants to your tank. Simply rinse off the nutrient gel, separate into portions, and place or attach as you like.

Preparing Your Tissue Culture Riccia

• Remove the plant from the sealed cup
• Rinse all nutrient gel thoroughly under clean water
• Separate into small portions
• Leave to float, or tie down to a stone or hardscape with fishing line, thread, or mesh

Care at a Glance

• Scientific name: Riccia fluitans
• Type: Moss (liverwort)
• Origin: Cosmopolitan
• Growth rate: Medium
• Height: 1–2 inches (3–5+ cm)
• Light demand: Medium
• CO2: Medium, and recommended for best growth
• Best placement: Floating at the surface, or tied down in the foreground or on hardscape

Floating or Submerged

As a floating plant, Riccia fluitans needs no special preparation and offers good protection for fry and young fish. To keep it submerged, tie it to a stone, driftwood, or mesh with fishing line. New shoots always grow toward the surface, so a submerged mass will need regular trimming with scissors to stay compact and in place.

Getting the Best Growth

Riccia fluitans does best with good lighting and added CO2. In good growing conditions, small oxygen bubbles (pearling) form on the leaf tips, which is a sign the plant is thriving. Regular trimming keeps growth dense and prevents the mass from becoming too thick, which can limit light reaching the lower strands.

Compatible With

• All community fish, shrimp, and snails
• Particularly useful in breeding tanks and shrimp tanks for the shelter it provides to fry and shrimplets
• Suitable for nature-style aquascapes, Dutch aquariums, and planted setups of all kinds