Help...Ricordeas shrinking.....

[cjj14u]

I added 3 small Ricordeas (Florida) attached to a single piece of rock to my tank about 3 weeks ago.
First week they did great, opened up each day and looked super.
Now the past several days or so they are quite contracted.....
All parameters are good and have not changed since I added them:
Salinity 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Alk 3.6
Temp 78.0

The only recent change is I added a couple of small star polyp colonies a few days ago. They are in no close proximity to the Rics.

Corals:
1 fairly good size mushroom
2 very small zoa colonies
2 star polyp colonies

Fish:
1 Lawnmower Bleny
1 Occ Clown (small)
1 Firefish
1 Royal Gramma

Other:
CUC of various snails (astrea, cerinth, nassarius) crabs (Red & Blue leg hermits), 1 emerald crab, 2 peppermint shrimp....

Not dosing anything.....

This is in a 34 gal RSM AOI.


My question is:
Do Rics just do this from time to time?
Could the addition of the star colonies have had an affect?
Anything else I should look at or question?

Thanks.

 

[yiliyang]

I think the ricordias need to be spot fed. I had mine in nutrient rich environment and it did the same thing, just shrank until one day water flow carried it away.

I heard of people turning off the circulation pump and spot feeding rics with great result.

 

[garzaci]

A little off topic but your alk is a little low. I would try to raise that some. Also what kind of lighting do you have? I've never heard of having to spot feed them though.

 

[marcpuffer]

I agree with the spot feeding, also do you run carbon you might have some soft coral warfare going on

 

[gflat65]

How much light do you have them under? They could be retracting from too much. I've never spot feed any florida rics and have had pretty good success with them (though, I'm sure it can't hurt). Too much light will get them in a hearbeat, though.

 

[bekindtoyurbuds]

If its an RSM (as stated above) with stock lighting (not stated)

Then he has 2 55watt 50/50 (10k/actinic) power compact bulbs. 110watts all together with a tank height of 19.7"

I also have an rsm and for some reason I have never been able to keep Ricordeas, they always shrival and detach themselves from the rock within a week or two.
(most softies and lps do well)

Im not sure on how much light these corals should have, but I would say that they have too little light.

Even having them at the top never seems to work in my tank.

 

[Ddanaher]

I have had same problems, put them up higher they shrunk even more so pulled them lower and they got better I have never herd of spot feeding them though ??

 

[robot2222]

i had mine too close to a leather and it was shriveling . moved it away and it is on the mend.

 

[Frogmanx82]

Mine loves to eat pellets. I use 1mm New Life Spectrum. Get a long straw or what I use is a section of hard air line tubing. Drop the pellets in the straw and let them drop out right on top of the ricordia or whatever else you need to feed. I do it 2 -3 times a week and my ricordias are definitely growing.

 

[stymee69]

what is your ph? you have plenty of light .and like some others have mentioned softy warfare make sure you have several inches clearance ..and I too have never spot fed my rics..

 

[andrewk529]

A little off topic but your alk is a little low. I would try to raise that some. Also what kind of lighting do you have? I've never heard of having to spot feed them though.

it's extremely low, dkh should be 8-12...you should also be concerned about calcium and magnesium.

 

[quader94]

If its an RSM (as stated above) with stock lighting (not stated)

Then he has 2 55watt 50/50 (10k/actinic) power compact bulbs. 110watts all together with a tank height of 19.7"

I also have an rsm and for some reason I have never been able to keep Ricordeas, they always shrival and detach themselves from the rock within a week or two.
(most softies and lps do well)

Im not sure on how much light these corals should have, but I would say that they have too little light.

Even having them at the top never seems to work in my tank.

i think its the RSM, i have one too, and ive tried 4 different ricordias and they all shrival