I have a 30 gallon cube with about 20 ricordea and various acans. I have noticed that a few of them seem to be cupping upward. My lighting is 2x32w pc actinics and a 150w DE MH using a 14k phoenix bulb. All bulbs are less then 3 months old. All water parameters are where they should be. Temp and salinity are controlled by ReefKeeper Elite. I am thinking that they may be in need of more light. The ricordea are placed about 18"-20" below the actual bulb of the MH. I have a spare 250w single ended MH setup laying in the garage....do you folks think that I should swap out the 150w DE MH for the 250w SE MH? Anyone ever have this problem? I feed the rics brine and mysis shrimp and they all eat fine. Most of the rics are pink and orange with a few blues, purples, and greens. Let me know your thoughts...
Ricordea cupping? Not enough light?
- Thread starter mkengr45
- Start date
RtReef
New member
Mine do that once in a while. I know I have enough light. I think they do that to capture the light??? Kind of like how flowers extend upwards toward the sun.
Maybe someone can chime in with better experience on rics. Personally I would think it's nothing to really worry too much about..
Maybe someone can chime in with better experience on rics. Personally I would think it's nothing to really worry too much about..
StephLionfish
New member
Mine does that, too.... strange. But, I don't have great lighting over the tank.
StephLionfish
New member
Could it be because it senses food in the water? Like how LPS will stretch their tentacles out whenever you feed the tank?
keywestcoralboy
Executive water changer
It's deffinately not a lighting problem rics typically need less than you would think and in your case IMO you have plenty..
It does not appear to be a feeding response because it does this allof the time. This ric is placed in an area of very low flow so I am certain it is not due to too much flow. The other ricirdea around it (within inches) are not cupping. This is a single orange ricordea with 4 bright green mouths. Do you think the excessive # of mouths has anything to do with it?
freewest61
New member
has the color faded? I noticed cupping, then my colors fading on rics when i moved them to one of my nanos. I then upgraded the light (from CFL to LED) and this went away. Although you seem like you have sufficient lighting.
Lauramichelle
New member
I have the same cupping with my orange Ricordea, but I just noticed it tonight. At about 3 am, I got up and was watching my tank, for hitchhikers, with a red light. It was cupped. It's near a war coral and a trumpet, but their tentacles didn't seem to be near it. The Ricordea is on a frag. I have a 20 gal with LEDs. It's about mid tank with mid flow. So I'm really confused as to what's going on.
Lauramichelle
New member
This morning, the Ricordea looked normal It must have just been cupping to feed.
imolaragazzo
New member
At night my ricordeas always kind of shrivel up/cup. They go back to normal once the lights come on. Nothing to worry about.
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