# hitchhiker plant?



## diskoerekto (Dec 12, 2011)

Hi all,

I saw this floating over the water. This has yellow stuff that looks like seeds. When they drop to the ground of aquarium I think my snails eat them. Anyhoo, here is a pic of this. Is this something nasty or something nice?

Regards,
Emrah


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

It's somethign nasty...Utricularia gibba...get rid of it as fast as possible and check regularly to make sure there are no fragments floating about. It's the 'VD' of the planted aquarium world.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

Nasty. That's _Utricularia gibba_, a carnivorous plant that's a major pest in planted aquariums. The little balls are capture bladders it uses to ensnare tiny aquatic life. In an aquarium, it can become a tangled mess that ensnares all your other plants. Doesn't really harm anything, just looks bad. If you look in our Plant Finder resource, there's an entry on it there.

I knew it's what your plant probably was before opening the thread. It's a common hitchhiker.


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

I eradicated it using an old toothbrush to catch the strands. Wasn't too difficult, but it does take time and vigilance.


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