New to Ricordea-- Feeding?

[lildraken]

I just got 3 quarter sized polyps of ricordia from the LFS store today. So I read that you were supposed to feed them meaty foods? Surely you don't individually feed each polyp like you do anemones--do you? sorry if this is a stupid question.

 

[Laura Senchuk]

They get enough food when you feed the tank.

 

[fvandijk]

There are people that never feed their rics and there are people that report doing it on a regular basis. Those that do generally feed small meaty foods (mysis, etc.) and report better growth and reproduction. I've also noticed that there are some in my aquarium that don't have much of a feed response.

 

[Mr. Fish Stick]

I tried feeding mine some mysis this weekend. 3 of them gobbled it up, really cool to watch. I had to guard them with the forcepts from the hungry amphipods haha. The others in the tank showed no interest in the food.

D

 

[lildraken]

yeah I fed one of my rics a tiny spec of lance fish. It didn't seem to grab at it, but when the food "landed" it gobbled it up too! It's so neato-- like a mini BTA. The nassarius snails stole food from the mushrooms (maybe because they don't really eat meaty foods) but they stayed away from my rics.
I want them to hurry up and grow. Does anyone know how big the green florida rics get? And can you feed them too much?

 

[paininthewrasse]

I will occasionally feed mine but its not neccesary.. They do multiply quicker when you target feed.

 

[BigScott]

i got a green florida ric thats about 4 inches across , im about to cut it..


BIG SCOTT

 

[IanInDC]

Cyclop-eeze, big time. My rics make those muscous nets and haul 'em in...

 

[kiknchikn]

Yeah, I've heard good things about cyclop-eeze. I'm about to buy some and mix it with selcon and some mysis shrimp overnight and then spot feed my rics the next day.

 

[Tallinu]

Rics will take food when hungry, even very large particles considering their mouth size. They will swell and expand their mouths but it's a slow process. It's fun to watch them manuver food from their marginal tentacles to the mouth. If they are not hungry ( they seem to be like snakes ) then they will move the food to their margins and let it go into the current.

I've had some that never ceased to amaze me with their appetite. And I've had some from the same colony/morph that I could never get to eat anything period.

I recommend feeding any that will eat. They swell and grow and become very robust.

Tall

 

[All Delight]

My FL Rics even eat flake food!!

 

[kiknchikn]

I finally fed my Rics last night with the Mysis + cyclop-eeze + selcon mix. I think this ric liked it. What do you guys think?


www.mikesreef.com

I think he's downing something like 4 or 5 mysis shrimp at once, which wasn't intentional at all on my part. He was only supposed to get 2... what a pig. All the rest only got 1 or 2 shrimp each + cyclop-eeze and selcon.

 

[sukie80]

I don't feed my rics either. . . I've tried but didn't try hard.

 

[lildraken]

my rics stick to food items like mini BTA's. Does anyone know where they sell 18" long eyedroppers or foreceps so I could place minute pieces of food on my rics without having to stick my arm in the aquarium? thanks

BTW, nice photos kiknchkn. your ric *is* a pig!

 

[kiknchikn]

I just bought 10" forceps from Drs Foster & Smith that I use to feed them. I also use a turkey baster, which is about 12" I think. Guess those are too short for you though, huh? I've never seen any bigger ones, but maybe you can Google it?