My ricordea are getting too dense... thinning advise needed

[Radioheadx14]

my use-to-be-small ricordia garden has now grown too thick. 3 mushrooms became 11 on one rock. a couple of the smaller polyps are being blocked from full light. I want to thin them out and spread them over the base of my tank but am unsure of how to go about it. I must have gotten some super large polyp variants... my blue/orange ones are probably 3" in diameter.

Do i just take a knife and cut it as close to the rock as i can? They're on a medium sized rock and its probably too hard to scrape them completely off. Would cutting most of the attached part hurt the mushroom? or would it be fine as long as all of the 'face/mouth' is intact? I have yet to frag anything in my tank yet... I've been semi lazy and have let things grow naturally to this point.

Pic:

they seem a little washed out from my camera.

 

[spanishmack]

no tissue damage is the best way to get them moved on with no problem, i use some coral cutters to cut the rock underneath the ric and remove them that way. no stress for them that way. you can cut them and may get more but they will need to heal back up so good water quality is a must for this method

 

[leezer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13788479#post13788479 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spanishmack
no tissue damage is the best way to get them moved on with no problem, i use some coral cutters to cut the rock underneath the ric and remove them that way. no stress for them that way. you can cut them and may get more but they will need to heal back up so good water quality is a must for this method

I'd imagine that with a natural expansion from 3 to 11 rics, the water quality is pretty stable. Go for the cutting method as long as you're prepared to wait a week or two for them to heal. I just cut a large blue mushroom off a rock because it was blocking light to others. This was on Sunday and I've notice its foot is healed, but the mushroom itself looks all shriveled and upset still.

 

[spanishmack]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13788519#post13788519 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by leezer
I'd imagine that with a natural expansion from 3 to 11 rics, the water quality is pretty stable. Go for the cutting method as long as you're prepared to wait a week or two for them to heal. I just cut a large blue mushroom off a rock because it was blocking light to others. This was on Sunday and I've notice its foot is healed, but the mushroom itself looks all shriveled and upset still.

growth and necrosis can do well in the same water

 

[Radioheadx14]

The only thing is that i cant cut the rock away because its on one fairly large, thick rock. No way to get a cutter in there to cut anyting out. maybe i'll try a chisle or wood awe and a hammer first.

 

[sbcaes]

just snip some off.
let attach to rubble and place. simple.

 

[M.A.F.]

mail me some! lolstick a shell or too in the middle of it and after a week pull them all off!

 

[ErikAnderson]

that is a lovely rock, i was unable to look at the picture earlier because it was blocked at work.

Gosh if i were you i would keep that rock just the way it is and let them go nuts. Obviously you are doing something right.


-erik wonders how much that rock would sell for

 

[Racing1]

Don't want to hijack the thread but I am having the same problem. Some of the rics are growing down around the rock and not getting much light. Should I try to chip them off or cut them?

 

[atteb66]

Well I wish i had that problem, but i know in time I will with my singles. May I ask what do you feed your ricordeas??

I have the exact same orange/blue one and I have a blue one on the way tomorrow.

 

[shroomlover]

Yea i wish i had that problem also! Im setting up a ric/zoa tank and hope mine will look as good as some of these do!

 

[Fin Mike]

If you must cut the rock, you could use a grinder with a masonry blade to chew through it. once the rock is broken, put one side higher than the other, and let gravity do the work. But as erikanderson said, I would leave them alone and let them go nuts.

 

[sassafrass]

If they need to they can move themselves , mine do when they get to crowded

 

[ranger07]

I'll buy some.Email me at fordparts66@hotmail.com

 

[Indermark]

thats a problem you want to have.

 

[KorL]

Florida Rics are very hardy. Just grab a pair of scissors and start cutting. Keep the cuttings in a low flow area, so they can attach to something

 

[BigScott]

use hi flo on them an they will detach.. it works for me..