Invasive aquatic plant-parasite?

[zima]

Here's something interesting that I've never seen before. It a string-like plant that has black seeds every other 1/4 inch (from which, I assume, it propagates). I found it in my moss and around some plants. I noticed that it thrives in moss and other slow growers; it tries its luck around fast growers too, but they outgrow it fast. The best way to describe the growth of this thing is as if it is "strangling" the other plants - grows around it in circles, or in spirals. Manual removal works as a temporary solution. It is not a big bother for now, but I imagine, if left untouched for a few weeks, it could very well "strangle" the other plants. Any ideas? Has anyone encountered this before?

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[fischkopp]

You just found Utricularia gibba. Good luck! That plant is in in the same family as Utricularia graminifolia - but it tends to grow much easier, unfortunately it ends up everywhere. Its not an algae, it will just thrive with high-light and CO2 like any other plant. Manual removal is very difficult because the stuff is so brittle. Any tiny sting left will cause another pest sooner and later. I eventually tore one whole tank down and cleaned very diligently what went back into the tank. But other tanks seemed to be somewhat resistant against this plant; I see a string sometimes, but it never takes off. Hope that's the case for you. Some people actually like it as a plant, and I must admit the a ball of U. gibba doesn't look to bad, I just find it too hard to control - much worse than pellia.

[zima]

Bah... Thanks for the onfo, fischkopp. Since it is a plant, I might try and do something interesting with it.