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Crystalwort (Riccia fluitans)

Crystalwort Care

Riccia fluitans

Updated on July 28, 2022
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Reviewed by Don Spaeth
Petco’s National Aquatic Care, Education and Programs Manager

Appearance | Plant care | How to plant it | Propagation | Maintenance and care | Common problems | Aquarium mates and compatibility

crystalwort plant

Do you want to beautify your aquarium with live plants? Plants provide oxygen while absorbing nutrients and offer a suitable place for microorganisms to flourish. Riccia fluitans is an amphibious freshwater plant that can be a great addition to aquariums for a few reasons.

Riccia fluitans naturally occurs across multiple continents, including Africa and North America—it is the only true aquatic liverwort to grow in Florida. This moss-like plant thrives in calm water, which is a part of why it does so well in freshwater aquariums. In nature, it is often found in the shallow waters of a pond or stream.  

This short plant is also known as floating crystalwort and is often considered a type of floating moss. It’s part of the liverwort family and has bright green leaves and stems. To learn more about the best plant types for your aquarium, read our guide to Setting Up a Freshwater Aquarium.  

Read on to learn more about the crystalwort aquatic plant and what it can do for your aquarium.

Appearance 

Crystalwort grows in small, round tufts. The tufts are bright green and can brighten up any indoor or outdoor aquatic habitat. The plant’s body grows in a Y-shaped cluster, sometimes called segments. While the plants don’t have true roots, they do have rhizoids, which are thin, colorless strands similar to roots that can help the body of the plant attach to different parts of your aquarium.

Plant care 

Crystalwort is amphibious, which is another way to say it can float. Amphibious plants can be emergent or submergent; emergent means crystalwort can be rooted in the aquarium, with some or all the plant’s structure reaching the water surface. However, many aquatic pet parents prefer to submerge the plant to provide a playground for young fry. 

This is a freshwater plant, so please make sure to keep it with aquatic life with similar needs. Floating crystalwort grows quickly and can reach 3–5 inches high when fully mature. While pruning may be required depending on your habitat’s dimensions, this plant can survive partially emerging from the water.

How to plant it 

Crystalwort has no functional roots, so it is often floated or tied to a structure. You can place your Riccia fluitans almost anywhere in your aquarium; the plant is appropriate for the foreground, middle or bobbing on top of the water.  

If you want to submerge this plant, a light test fishing line may help attach it to nearby décor. Keep these plants away from your filter to avoid clogging it. Read Petco’s Planted Tank Set Up Guide and Care Sheet for more information about best practices for placing aquatic plants.

Maintenance and care 

This plant is fairly easy to maintain. Lighting will vary depending on your plant’s placement. If you submerge your moss, the plant will need more intense lighting. Floating crystalwort can thrive with less light since it is on the water’s surface and closer to the light . Your plant will thrive with water temperatures between 68 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a pH range of 6.0 to 8.0.

How should you feed your plants? You can use liquid plant fertilizer formulated for aquariums with Riccia fluitans or other freshwater plant supplements. This amphibious plant doesn’t require CO2 to grow, but it can help, especially in lower light environments. Remember to avoid strong currents caused by filters or other accessories—just like in nature, crystalwort will do better in calm water conditions.

Propagation 

Riccia reproduces by producing spores that float and grow at the top of your aquarium. While this process is great for pet parents who want to give their fish more of this beneficial plant, you may have to eventually remove the tufts of floating crystalwort to avoid it taking over your enclosure and reducing light for any other plants species.

Propagation is fairly simple for those who don’t want to wait for spores to spread and new moss to grow. You can break pieces off the main plant—no trimming required—and tie them to décor or leave them floating freely. 

Common problems 

For the most part, the Riccia aquatic plant is hardy and can survive in a wide range of water temperatures and conditions. The most common issue experienced by this plant comes from improper lighting.

Since Riccia fluitans can be either anchored to décor at the bottom of the aquarium or left floating, its lighting requirements can vary. Left floating at the top of your enclosure, this plant won’t require very intense light. However, it will require stronger lighting if secured to the bottom of the aquarium and may begin to brown if these needs aren’t met.

Aquarium mates and compatibility 

Crystalwort doesn’t absorb nutrients from substrate through roots; its leaves extract nutrients from the water column, typically provided by fish. You’ll want to keep small, peaceful fish with this plant. This includes species like pencil fish, bettas, rasboras, tetras and crystal shrimp. Shrimp can also help keep the plants clean by eating the biofilm and fish food trapped between its leaves. Many small fish also enjoy hiding in the plant when they need privacy or feel threatened.

Take care to research any aquatic life you plan to house with your Riccia fluitans; not all species are plant safe. Both rabbit and apple snails will eat the plant if they aren’t fed often enough. Crabs are also known to destroy Riccia fluitans and may not give your plant a chance to thrive.

FAQs about Riccia Fluitans

How do I keep Riccia fluitans healthy and growing? 

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To help your crystalwort to remain healthy and grow to its full potential, change about 10–25% of your aquarium’s water every 2–4 weeks—depending on how many fish and how much waste you have in your tank. You should also provide the right lighting. Crystalwort needs at least 8 hours of full-spectrum lighting per day, but floating plants may do well with high-intensity lighting. Keep the water current in your aquarium gentle. Equipment or accessories that create a lot of turbulence may disrupt your plant’s growth. Make sure to feed your plants a healthy amount of plant fertilizer to help them grow, and don’t house them with destructive fish. If you suspect one of your plants is sick or arrived with a pest snail or parasite, quarantine it to ensure the issue doesn’t spread to the rest of your ecosystem.

Is Riccia fluitans easy to grow? 

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Yes, once established, this moss-like plant is relatively easy to grow in a home aquarium. With moderate lighting and adequate nutrients, Riccia fluitans can grow quite big and provide a bright accessory to your fish’s habitat.

How do you prune Riccia fluitans? 

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Pruning is often necessary for this quick-growing plant. Pruning helps stop it from growing so tall that it clogs water filters—especially if your plant is floating on top of the water’s surface. You can prune Riccia fluitans with aquatic plant scissors. Cutting the leaves at an angle—instead of straight across—reduces the plant’s size without sacrificing the shape. Crystalwort grows at an average rate of several centimeters over two months, so be prepared to trim it accordingly.

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