Crystalwort
Riccia fluitans
Ricciaceae
About
Crystalwort is a cosmopolitan liverwort with no roots at all, and that single fact explains everything about how it is kept. Left to itself it drifts as a loose, translucent green mat just below the surface, where it gives fry and shrimplets some of the best cover in the hobby. Takashi Amano popularised the other way of using it: pinned under a mesh pad or tied to a stone with fine line, it grows into the glittering, pearl-covered carpet that made the plant famous. Both uses are entirely normal, and the same batch of plant will do either.
Care
Floated, it asks for almost nothing - moderate light, no CO2, a calm surface and the occasional handful pulled out. Carpeted, it is a different plant: it needs strong light, injected CO2 and regular water-column dosing, and it must be tied to stone or mesh and trimmed every week or two, because an untrimmed cushion shades out its own base, loses its grip and floats back up to the surface. Keep flow gentle so the mat is not shredded.
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Frequently asked questions
- What water parameters does a Crystalwort need?
- Crystalwort does best at 15–30 °C (59–86 °F), pH 5–8 and a general hardness of 1–25 °dGH.
- Where should Crystalwort be placed in the aquarium?
- Crystalwort works best floating at the surface and reaches around 5 cm.
- Is the Crystalwort suitable for beginners?
- Crystalwort sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.