ric health?

[Riona]

I got a couple of rics at my LRS a week or so ago, since then, they're still coloured nicely, but it seems like they always have their mouths open. So I tried giving them food. They'll seem to take small cyclops chunks, but when I tried feeding some squid earlier neither would take it(hm, maybe they just didn't like it?) I still can't find a really nice place for them. So far my other corals are doing fine(candy cane, blasto merletti, a couple of mushrooms, some anthelia and a bunch of zoos) I keep trying to find them a spot where they aren't in a lot of flow.

The tank is 10 gals. Nitrate, ammonia and nitrite are all 0, ph is around 8-8.2. I've got a 65 watt pc fixture on there. I dose with marine snow, half a capful per week. Hm... I don't know the alk. What should I feed them, and how often? Also, how much light do they like? I was thinking that part of it was the lighting difference. They came from a metal halide system(and a lot of dead/bleached/etc corals) at my LRS, so at first I thought it was just because they weren't getting as much light as they were used to(had them on the bottom of the tank at first) Should I move them near the top of the tank, or leave them near the bottom? Also, what and how much do they like to be fed?

 

[geoxman]

First off what kind of ricordea are they-yuma or fl? Most yumas prefer lower light, while fl ricordea like the intense light. You don't have to feed them anything at all-but they will grow faster and maintain better coloration with proper feedings.
Why and how can you not know what level you alkalinity is? It is one of the most important things to know. Good luck and get a Salifert alk test kit.

 

[basiab]

I also have a 10 gallon with mushrooms (lots), candy cane (2 with four heads each) 2 small zoo's and some fish with a 65w PC. I have been looking at some blasto merletti but was not sure how well it would do in this set up. How long have you had yours?

 

[Riona]

I've had mine since last wednesday. they're doing well so far, nice and plump

I don't know if they're yumas or FLs. How do you tell? These are small(little less than 2") and are pink with fluoresant green. The tentacles don't really look like the FLs I've seen though. They're not very plump and don't cover the entire disc(if that made any sense>_>) The pic is one I took the night I got them, right after acclimation.

I guess I'll get a test kit this weekend after I get paid for the alk.

 

[chrisstie]

that looks like a florida- a yuma has little bumps that come up to and cover hte sides of the mouth.

I'd say give them a week or so to settle in without being moved and see if they aren't doing better

 

[Tripspike]

Yeppers give em some time to get used to their new home. They are pretty hardy animals. Mine love to eat mysis shrimp. I usually give them a couple apiece two times a week or so.

It is cool to watch them fend off the red and blue legged crabs that try to get into the ricordea and steal the shrimp. The tentacles from the edge turn up and sting the crab and it contorts itself so the crabs can't get in. It is really something to watch. I have yet to get a good picture or video of this.

 

[Riona]

No, I think they're yuma, if that is the way to tell. They've got bumps around their mouths, they just aren't pronounced, and their mouths look nothing like the two FLs I got a week or so ago. Still look the same. I gave them a couple more days then moved them up in the tank, and they still look unhappy(gaping mouths) and won't eat. Hm. The FLs are doing great. . .

 

[Riona]

Well, they never got used to it I ended up moving them once, from low flow and low light to medium flow and a bit higher light. Both detached from the rock and dissappeared First losses. . .

 

[cowbell]

You might find them later on in your tank, sometimes they will blow under a rock and you will find them in a month or so growing out from there. One can always hope.

 

[BigScott]

yumas or mine anyway like low flo an low light .. high light sometimes melt them, an high flo , they will usally will detach an find a lower flo erea..my two cents worth..


SCOTT

 

[geoxman]

wild yumas are tough to get going at first and require a perfect tank JMHO.
I have many that are 3rd generation aquacultered in my system and they can with stand most things that you throw at them including very high light.

You more than likely had a wild polyp and since you didn't even know your alk- I am guessing your water parameters might not have been in line.

As I said before wild yumas are very tough to get acclimated. good luck.